A Panther's Honour
by darknessversuslight
Summary: Before BCPU's, before Extendeds there was an elite unit known only as CHO. This is their story. Based off the events in 'Birds of a Feather' by Solid Shark.
1. Chapter 1

I own nothing except Diana Stein and her unit.

'Birds of a Feather' and all associated characters, machines and events belong to Solid Shark.

* * *

Before Extendeds, before BCPUs, there was an elite unit, its members collectively known as CHO. These skilled soldiers volunteered to undergo extensive training, and performance enhancing drugs. Theoretically, they were to be the equal of any co-ordinator in their chosen fields of specialisation. So strong was their belief in their duty that upon acceptance into the unit, their pasts were erased. Whoever they had been did not matter, only what they had become.

Their leader was hand-to-hand combat specialist Diana Stein. This is of course not the name she was born with, but it is the only name she would recognise during the war. Passionate and individualistic, she didn't do well in the more conventional forces of the OMNI enforcers. She was one of the first volunteers for CHO. Her patience, commanding aura and teaching skills made her the perfect candidate to lead the newly formed unit.

* * *

_She'd been in a few skirmishes since joining the Atlantic Federation, more so since it had become a part of the Earth Alliance. Still, none of them had gone quite so poorly as today's. The Grimaldi Front wasn't exactly a vacation spot at the best of times, but they'd already lost A third of the Fleet and nearly just as many mobile armours. Her own ship had already been wiped out, and she had seen her brother's Moebius Zero take a couple of glancing hits. _

'Those damn Demons aren't helping much.' _She thought bitterly as she watched another pilot go down, their machine destroyed by a grey GINN. Her own target, in yet another fruitless attempt to lose her, halted his movement. She overshot, and cursed as she desperately tried to correct her direction before the GINN tried to hack her into shreds with his sword. She was fast enough to save herself from being cut in two, but her Moebius still took damage. _

_Snarling softly she brought her cannon to bare, and fired. Her opponent hadn't expected her to recover so quickly, and paid the price. As did she. Something within her machine died, sending an overload into her console. Glass and metal shattered, ripping into her side. Grunting softly, she was thankful for the fact her last target had led them away from the main battle - It would give her time to get her bearings and seek medical attention. _

_She scrapped that plan as the radiation levels rose drastically. "They wouldn't…" she whispered softly. Her instruments said otherwise. She'd heard about the Cyclops System, but she'd never thought they'd actually use it, not whilst their own people were still in the blast zone's radius. Mu la Flaga's warning only solidified her decision to get moving. "All Earth Forces, if you don't want to fry, get out of here!" La Flaga was following his own advice, and she was amongst those few that didn't wait around. _

_She poured as much power into her thrusters as she could spare… _

* * *

Diana awoke spluttering, glaring at the cushion that had hit her right on the head.

"Nightmare?" She glanced at the male sitting in the corner, grabbed the cushion and threw it back.

"Yeah." She said softly as her companion caught the projectile and tucked it behind his back. He nodded in understanding.

"Endymion and the Cyclops system right?"

She nodded, slowly releasing her breath. "The Maywood siblings may have died at Endymion, but the memories are still there." She raised a hand to block the incoming cushion. "What was that for?" She scowled, picking up the offending weapon.

"You were about to slip into a pessimistic mind frame, Diana. I know you're no optimist, but you being depressed isn't pleasant for the rest of us." He grinned, "So, you getting up or do I need to get a cold bucket of water?"

"You delight in terrorizing me don't you Sol?"

"It's what brothers are for." Sol grinned, picking himself up off the floor. "I'll leave you to get ready. But if you're not out in 10 minutes, I'm sending in Megs."

Diana scowled at her brother's back as she held back a shudder. Meagan was a lovely girl, but she rattled on about her inventions just a little too much. It wasn't something she wanted to deal with first thing in the morning. Yawning, she dragged herself out of bed, going through her usual morning routine.

The bathroom floor was cold, and provided an instant wake-up call. Splashing cold water on her face, any thoughts of returning to bed vanished - It was all part of her daily routine, and she loved the opportunity to take her time. Compared to her Academy days, this was a luxury. Next she switched on the kettle, and returned to her room, getting dressed as she waited for the water to boil.

Many people had asked about the kettle. It was quite simple really. Unless in a combat situation, Diana could not survive a full day without her traditional morning cup of tea. The kettle in her quarters just saved time in getting ready for the day. The water finished boiling just as she was doing up her uniform's collar. Smiling with satisfaction, she made her tea, and glanced at the mirror.

Brown eyes stared back, framed by long black hair. Diana Stein had often been told she was in the wrong profession - most people believed she ought to be a model. Those people had only ever seen her in the full uniform of the Earth Alliance, and took her slim appearance to mean that she was weak. Those that had met with her in combat or training knew better - Diana had as much right to wear the blue and brown uniform of the CHO unit as any of her team-mates.

Dressed and refreshed, she went wandering through the current base of her unit. She entered the rec room to discover a news report blaring, and the rest of her team staring at each other in bewilderment. "I take it there was a reason Sol was waiting for me to wake up, and it has something to do with whatever's on the TV?"

"You just missed it Captain." Adrian Summerton saluted. As always, he was in full uniform, and there wasn't a single crease visible. No-one was sure how he managed to keep it so neat. "ZAFT attacked and destroyed the Heliopolis colony."

Their captain's eyebrow rose. "Heliopolis? That's where they were working on the G-Project and the Archangel, wasn't it? I want the details people." Her brother nodded.

"4 of the 6 mobile suits were stolen by ZAFT. Which four were taken, we really don't know - We're yet to get an official report from HQ. From the news reports, we've figured this much out. ZAFT has four mobile suits and used D Grade weaponry in an attempt to get the last two. That's what destroyed the colony, according to Meagan."

Meagan Taylor nodded. "I can't see what else could have caused that much destruction. Not in ZAFT's arsenal anyway." Diana acknowledged this with a nod, meeting her brother's eyes. The dark brown orbs mirrored her own worry. This was quite the setback, especially if ZAFT had succeeded in destroying the two remaining machines.

"What's the ETA on an official report?" Sol questioned, looking around at the group.

"Unknown Sir. It depends on how quickly someone can get there, or if there were any survivors." Adrian replied.

"Well, there's nothing we can do for any survivors there may be. Let's hope they can look after themselves." Diana nodded to the rest of the group, slipping out of the room. She'd be able to get more information, with or without an official report.

"_Captain Stein, this is a pleasant surprise."_ Despite the words, the man's tone and appearance spoke otherwise.

"Cut the crap Lord Gabriel. We both know why I'm calling. What happened at Heliopolis?"

The businessman frowned at her straightforwardness. Diana usually didn't mind the banter they often participated in. _"Worried Captain? I'll send you a detailed report. Will that satisfy your curiosity?"_

Diana grimaced. "It will do for a start. Thank you Lord Gabriel."

"_You're most welcome Captain. Though I do suggest you remember who it is that financially supports your unit the next time we talk."_ The screen went blank, and Diana growled.

I'll remember who funds us if you remember who volunteered for this little experiment of yours in the first place.

* * *

Diana's eyes darted across the page as she flicked through the report she had received. It had come through two days _after_ the official report that HQ had sent. She wasn't pleased that it had taken Gabriel so long to get this. There wasn't much difference in the two reports either, although Gabriel's report held more speculations then the official one.

She flicked through the report, scanning to make sure she hadn't missed any details. Two days after the collapse of the Heliopolis colony, and she finally had enough information to satisfy herself and her unit. They'd had an interest in the colony since the work on the G-project had been started. Not because of the G-weapons, but because of their own project that had been due to start soon in the neutral colony.

According to Gabriel's report, there was nothing but scrap metal remaining where the colony had been. Most of the civilians had survived, although one life pod was reported as missing – Supposedly the Archangel had taken it aboard, if Gabriel was correct. Gabriel's report also speculated that the pilot of the Strike was a Heliopolis civilian, and a coordinator. Surprising as it was, she was far more intrigued by the claim that the Grimaldi Falcon was back, and fighting for the Earth Forces.

It seemed impossible. Commander Kenneth DiFalco was loyal to the PLANTs. For him to be fighting alongside the Earth Forces, something had to be wrong. The Grimaldi Falcon would not turn against his comrades without having very good reasons, and he would _never_ wear an Earth Forces uniform willingly. Diana may never have met him, but she'd seen him on the battlefield. He was as bound by duty as she was, and had a warrior's sense of honour that she'd rarely encountered in her own side of the war. If things had turned out differently, they could have been friends.

Shaking her head at her own thoughts – her and the Grimaldi Falcon as friends? Not in this reality – she continued to the briefing room. Awaiting her was her unit, all in uniform, and ready to hear the latest. "Well, it could have been worse. The Archangel and her two machines – The Strike and the Raptor – have so far managed to evade ZAFT's forces." She glanced around the room. "It's the Le Creuset team that's pursuing them, so I'd say they're doing pretty well."

Jay Ruston, the team's medic, nodded. "Very well, if they're dealing with Le Creuset. He'd only have the best pilots." Diana acknowledged his comment with a nod.

"Yes, further more, the ZAFT forces are meant to be making use of their captured machines. I'd say the Archangel and her crew are doing quite well." She sighed, glancing at Meagan. If anyone was likely to be displeased about Gabriel's speculations concerning the pilots of the Strike and Raptor, it was she. The 18 year old was a Blue Cosmos supporter through and through.

"Gabriel believes that the pilots are coordinators – they still hadn't developed an OS that naturals can use, and the machines were fighting far too well. He believes that the Raptor is being piloted by the Grimaldi Falcon, and the Strike by a Heliopolis student. Of course, it's just speculation. The Archangel is yet to encounter anyone who could confirm this."

As predicted, Meagan was furious. "How can they even consider letting a coordinator near those machines?! They're the enemy! Are they insane?" The rest of the unit nodded, and Diana sighed.

"I don't believe they had a choice Ensign. They'd have been destroyed without the assistance of those two – that is if Gabriel's speculations are right and they _are_ coordinators. Admittedly, I don't think it was a wise decision to allow Commander DiFalco to pilot one of our mobile suits, and a civilian isn't much better, but if it was a matter of survival… No matter how much I dislike the idea, I'd have done the same."

"So you believe Gabriel's right? You're speaking as if you believe his speculations." Sol was curious. Even he couldn't keep up with his sister's thought process sometimes. She was a brilliant tactician, and a superb pilot. He strongly believed that the Republic of South Asia would still have Nova if their unit had been allowed to assist. The whole unit believed she could be a match for the Grimaldi Falcon any day, if only their superiors would deploy them when and where it mattered.

"Yes, I believe the report may be correct. The peregrine falcon's hunting call isn't something that can easily be mimicked, even by a coordinator. Besides, who'd want to claim to be DiFalco? Blue Cosmos and most of the Earth Alliance would be delighted to have his head on a platter. No, it really is the Grimaldi Falcon who pilots the Raptor." Diana began pacing.

"The question is why? Something must have spooked him badly for him to be assisting us. If something has him that worried…"

"We should worry as well." finished Adrian, nodding slowly. "It's something we should look into, but it probably won't be easy, and it's currently not the most pressing of matters we have to attend to."

Sol nodded. "Agreed. Did Gabriel mention anything about our little project?"

"It's not good." Diana sighed, "Heliopolis is scrap metal, and it's likely the Sandman Project is completely gone. We're back to square one."

Meagan cursed softly. The Sandman Project was often jokingly referred to as her pet project. Learning that it would now be another two or more months before it could even start did not help her sour mood. "No personnel, no materials… Did the designs survive at least?"

"It's unlikely. The completed designs would have been destroyed along with the rest of the Project the moment the colony was compromised. We can't afford to have ZAFT find out about us just yet. We're the Alliance's wild card, whenever they end up deploying us."

Meagan sighed. "So the whole thing has to start from scratch again? That sucks! Do we have any new orders?"

Their commanding officer shook her head. "No. Our orders are still the same. We're to continue to monitor the situation here in the USSA, and find the people responsible for the latest outbreak of terrorism against the Alliance forces stationed in the area."

Their medic sighed. "We've been here since the unit was official recognised. I'm getting sick of dealing with the conventional forces. They send us after every damn lead they find, even the ones that are completely unrealistic!"

"We're all getting sick of it Chief, but for now we just have to make do. Our superiors know what they're doing." '_I think'_ "Now, I believe that's everything. Training session in two hours, and I believe we're all scheduled for medicals at 1600 hours. I do not want to have to come searching for _anyone_. Dismissed." Diana watched the group trickle out of the room, but wasn't surprised to find her brother lingering.

"I believe I said you were dismissed Lieutenant." Sol gave her that look - the irritated, 'I'm you're brother, I know something's wrong' look. Diana sighed. "Alright, alright... I'm as annoyed as everyone else about being kept here. The whole reason our unit was formed was as an attempt to provide soldiers who could match a coordinator's combat abilities. Yet the only combat we've seen is against small terrorist cells! When are we going to be sent to the frontlines?"

Sol frowned, stepping forward and embracing his frustrated sister in a brotherly hug. "I don't think they'll ever send us to the frontlines Diana. We're just the experiments, and we're lacking something that could make us a match for the coordinators, even with the drugs and training. We're the first stage, and they consider us a failure."

Diana growled softly. "So they've labelled the CHO Project a failure and tucked us away where they can forget all about us?" Sol nodded, watching his sister as she began pacing, a flicker of fire burning in her eyes.

"Well, I refuse to be forgotten. We'll catch this latest cell, find who's directing these attacks and take them out. We'll remind our superiors that we're still around!" She whirled around, hands on her hips to glare at her brother, as if daring him to disagree.

"You've got my full support Sis. Let's point out that we're not that easy to ignore." He watched her with pride as she grinned and walked away, a confident air surrounding her.

'_That's _my_ twin sister.'_

* * *

Diana returned to the base with a feeling that was a little too close to relief to make her entirely comfortable. It had been a _long_ day. She presented herself to the bases guard, saluting him and rattling of her identification number with a toneless voice. "Captain Diana Stein. Identification number 03497211."

The guard checked her details before stepping aside. "Long day, Captain?" Diana just nodded as she passed. Her civilian attire caught the attention of several personnel, but after staring for a few moments, they would turn away. She was glad for it. Dealing with any cocky soldier would probably have led to an all out brawl. She just wasn't in an accepting mood. She reached the restricted are that housed her unit without trouble. Swiping her access card and entering her personal pin, she relaxed as the door hissed open.

'_Home_,_'_ she thought, shrugging out of the fluffy jacket she had worn for this information gathering mission. She held it out, studying the eyesore she'd forced herself to wear. It was pale pink and extremely _feminine_. Meagan had given it to her for Christmas as a joke, but Diana had chosen to wear it to a meeting with a new informant only two days later. Since that meeting, it had become a part of her civilian clothing that made up the persona 'Panther'. That didn't mean she had to like the jacket.

"Are you going to stare at that all day, or are you going to get changed and brief us on what you've found out?" Diana didn't even need to look up to know who was addressing her.

"I'm going to burn this one day Sol. I'm going to delight in watching the flames turn it to ash."

"Well until that day, I suggest you hurry up. Jay is getting antsy."

"Jay? Why is Jay getting impatient? He never gets impatient."

The lieutenant shrugged. "I think it has something to do with a call from HQ that he took whilst you were gone."

Diana frowned. _'What could they possibly want?'_ Shrugging mentally, she headed to her quarters to change - There was no way she was staying in these distasteful civilian clothes any longer then necessary. It wasn't that she disliked everyday clothes; she just didn't appreciate the clothing Meagan and Sol had suggested for Panther. It was, for the most part, far too restrictive.

In the briefing room, she glanced around at her unit. "First off, I want to know what headquarters want. Chief?" Jay nodded, and stood to give his report.

"Whilst you were out Captain, we received a call from Lord Azrael himself." The Captain's eyebrow rose. "He said that he wanted us all to undergo a full medical examination, and for the results to be sent directly to him." Diana's eyebrow rose further.

"We had our last medical less then a two weeks ago. What could he possibly want now that he can't get from those reports?"

"I'm not sure ma'am. However, he was very insistent that it be done as soon as possible."

Diana sighed. "Very well. We'll report to the medical sector tomorrow at 0900. Best to get it over with as soon as possible. Now, I suppose you'd all like to hear if my latest investigations have born fruit?" The group nodded, Meagan practically bouncing in her seat.

"Alright then." She moved over to a nearby display, calling up a map of the nearby area. "My little birdie believes the PLANT supporters are holed up in this area." She pointed to a well-protected area. "As you can see, the hills around here are extremely steep and rocky, effectively leaving only a North-east direction as the safest offensive."

"Which makes for a great defensive position, but it also keeps them hemmed in." Gregory mused. "Couple of kilograms of explosives, and you'd be able to wipe their base out with a rockslide." Diana nodded at her demolitions expert.

"It is an option, but I'd rather get a better idea of the terrain first. I'm proposing a scouting team check it out, firstly to ensure that our targets are making camp there and secondly to decide how to go about removing them. I want to take a couple of them alive, if at all possible."

Sol nodded in agreement. "You and Adrian should check it out. Meagan and I will act as back-up, and Gregory and Jay can keep an eye on communications." There was more light in her team-mates' eyes now then there had been for the past month. Diana shared their excitement - she was looking forward to actually _doing_ something as well.

"It's settled then. Two days from now, we're going hunting."

* * *

Diana watched her unit as they trained. Once, these exercises had left them all exhausted - Now they were little more then a mild warm up to get the day started. In an hour, they'd be heading out for their scouting mission. Meagan was a bundle of energy, and her sparring partner was having difficulty keeping up. Only his fast reflexes kept Jay from getting badly injured - Meagan was still learning the discipline needed to hold back upon contact.

Gregory and Adrian traded blows in another corner of the gym, Adrian using Gregory's strength against him. Still, Gregory had landed a few well placed hits - Adrian would feel this session tomorrow, but it wouldn't impair his performance today.

Sol had sparred with her, but it hadn't lasted long. After being thrown to the ground half a dozen times, he'd agreed that beating up on the equipment would probably be a more effective training method - siblings they may have been, but even he couldn't stand up to Diana in hand to hand combat.

"Okay people, hit the showers! I want every one to be ready to go in 30 minutes!" She called out, watching as the small group finished and filed out of the room. Smiling, she stepped into the centre of the room, and finished her own session by perfecting a half-remembered fan dance she'd learnt years ago - minus the fan of course.

Half an hour later, Adrian and Diana cautiously made their way down the steep incline that made up the southern wall of what they hoped was the rebels' base. Out of all the possible approaches, this had been the safest, excluding the obvious north-eastern one. A rocky ledge half-way down would provide the perfect cover from which to make their survey - given they could reach it without too much trouble.

Despite being careful, Adrian and Diana had nearly fallen twice. If there was anyone below, they hadn't noticed the loose dirt trickling down. "Proceed with caution. I'm sure I've already said it twice, Captain." The reply Diana gave Jay was extremely impolite. She'd almost lost her footing again.

"I think it's safe to say we'll be using a frontal assault." She growled out as she finally dropped down onto the ledge.

"Agreed," Adrian lowered himself on to the rocky outcrop, and began setting up the surveillance equipment they'd brought along as his commanding officer wiggled forward to look over the edge. Using only a pair of binoculars, she studied the area.

"Well, it seems as if my birdie was right. They've been here, recently." She murmured, her headset picking up the soft sound and relaying it back to their base ops team.

"Sitrep?" queried Sol, listening in on the radio channel. He and Meagan were ready to go if there was trouble.

"Haphazard organization. Most of their buildings are hidden in the shadows of these hills. It's no wonder we haven't picked them up on any fly-overs. Two, possibly three tunnel systems." Diana scanned the area again, increasing the magnification. "Can't give you anything more detailed then that right now Lieutenant. We'll need a couple of hours to survey this place properly."

"Acknowledged. Be careful Sis."

'_Going down,'_ Diana decided as she grabbed Adrian's arm to keep him from falling, _'is a lot easier then going up.'_ They had finished their surveillance, and were now in the process of making their way to the extraction point. Unfortunately gravity and ground were both working against them, seemingly determined to cause one or both of the soldiers to fall. Their journey upward was not made any easier by the packs they carried.

"I'll be glad to get back to the base." Diana grumbled. Adrian nodded his agreement as thy finally reached the top. At least the rest of the trip down would be easy - the ground, though still steep, was grassy and not as difficult to navigate.

* * *

"Well, well, look whose back." Adrian's reply was far politer then his CO's would have been, and he'd even been considerate enough to tack on a Lieutenant when he addressed Sol. It still wasn't something he'd care to repeat had he been in a better mood. Sol chuckled.

"It was like that huh? I could have warned you accepting an invitation to a one on one paintball match from our dear Captain wouldn't be intelligent."

"You could have but you didn't Lieutenant. Why?"

Sol looked at the sorry sight before him. It had been two days since their scouting mission, and a message from HQ had sent his sister into one of her moods. None of them knew what the message was, but they all believed it had something to do with the lack of activity concerning the rebels, and the paintball invitations Diana had been issuing today. So far, only Adrian had taken her up on the offer - he'd paid dearly for his bravery.

His usually well kept hair was a tangled mess and, horror of horrors, pink. The paint had dried into his hair, and despite having tried his hardest, Adrian hadn't been able to remove it all. He looked exhausted, and a smattering of bruises could be seen on the right of his neck and collar.

"I was hoping for some entertainment." Sol admitted, rummaging through a cupboard nearby. He was looking for a cream that would help take the sting out of the various cuts and scrapes that littered the other Lieutenant's body. Why was he rummaging in a cupboard and not the medical sector? Possibly because they kept such items everywhere - just in case.

"She beat me. I'm the professional marksman, and she beat me. I suppose you are satisfied?"

"No." Adrian was surprised by the barely contained anger in Sol's voice. He'd been expecting a cheerful yes, or a joke of some sort. The seriousness in Sol's voice threw him off balance enough that he didn't notice when Sol began slathering the cream on to his minor cuts.

"Whatever message came through from HQ, she shouldn't be taking it out on the rest of us. And by using you for target practice, that's exactly what she's doing. Oh, she can claim it's a part of our training, but it's just an excuse to blow off some steam."

Adrian winced as Sol tended a rather painful scratch.

"Sorry." Sol sounded too distracted to actually mean it, but Adrian didn't mind. He was more interested in what Sol was saying. After all, who could understand their Captain better then her own brother?

There were others, but Adrian had never met any of them, nor was he likely to. None of the unit even knew who their team-mates had been before joining the project. Those people ceased to exist, except in their own heads.

Sol was now silent, working his way across Adrian's back, having carefully removed the jacket and top earlier. It was mostly bruises, but they were already large and dark. Adrian flinched slightly, the only sign of his discomfort.

"Lieutenant?" Meagan sounded almost meek.

"Which one?" questioned Sol dryly as he finished tending to Adrian. Adrian retrieved his paint splattered jacket and thanked the other male quietly as Meagan glanced between the two.

"Ah, either of you, or even both…" It was unusual to see the girl looking so uncertain.

"We're listening." Sol frowned slightly as he spoke.

"Someone should talk to the Captain." Now Meagan sounded like herself. Direct and somewhat forceful, her tone left no room for questions. "She's not acting like herself. She's moody, nasty, and short on patience. We need to know why."

"And who would you suggest, Ensign?" Adrian asked quietly. "I've no desire to speak to her so soon after that training match."

"And she won't listen to me," Sol pointed out. "I am just her brother after all. She'll just tell me to shove off."

"And Gregory isn't a great talker, and Jay's been called off to help the other medical staff - Some sort of emergency. She won't listen to the rookie either." Meagan finished, frowning. "So we just stay out of her way until she's calmed down?"

Sol nodded, returning the jar of cream to the cupboard. "It's the only thing we can do, unless you want to contact HQ and ask them what they said to Diana." The other two shook their heads.

* * *

The bullets weren't hitting the targets anymore. Hadn't been hitting them for the past hour or so actually, but she didn't seem to notice. She was shaking, barely able to stand. Her breath was coming out in ragged gasps, yet she didn't stop. The gun barked again and again. When it had emptied its contents, she'd remove the cartridge and insert a new one. The cycle began again.

When Diana had first arrived here and started, no one had been concerned - She often came to the range to practise. After two hours of steady shooting, the soldiers had begun to wonder. After three, they had vacated the range and expressed their concerns. 4 hours after she had begun, the Admiral had declared that the range was off-limits. It was now 6 and a half hours after the young Captain had turned up, and despite her obvious exhaustion, she didn't look as if she intended to stop any time soon.

Diana and her unit may have been elite soldiers, and he knew that technically he had no power over the woman - she answered to a totally different line of command after all, but he had to do _something_. He just hoped that his higher rank would be enough to convince Diana to leave.

"Captain Stein." The woman didn't stop, but she did at least acknowledge his presence.

"Admiral Ronald." The gun barked twice before silence filled the air - she was out of ammo again.

"Captain, you need rest. You've been at this for half the day."

"I'm fine." She reached for a new cartridge, only to find her wrist held tightly by the Admiral.

"Diana, this is sheer folly. You're exhausted. You can't even shoot straight. Enough is enough, Captain. You will return to your quarters, and you _will_ rest. I don't know what has you so worked up, but I will not allow you to continue this stupidity."

Diana blinked up at the Admiral. Stuart Ronald was one of the few higher-ranking officers here that she had any respect for. It was perhaps best that she didn't alienate one of her few allies by ignoring his advice. "Very well Sir." She pulled her hand out of his grip and saluted. The gun returned to its holder, and she turned sharply stalking away. Somehow, despite her exhaustion, she still managed to make it appear graceful and dignified.

Admiral Ronald shook his head as he watched. Heaven help the fool who'd made her so angry.

"There will be a briefing at 0900 tomorrow." Diana informed her brother over a private meal. The moment she'd returned he'd grabbed her and dragged her to his room where a dinner for two waited. He'd tried to get her to talk; to explain herself, but she'd remained silent throughout the entirety of the meal. So to have her speak now was somewhat surprising.

"Why?" Surprise didn't stop him from asking questions.

"You'll find out tomorrow." Sol looked as if he was about to speak, but Diana shook her head. "No Sol, you'll find out tomorrow, along with everyone else." She paused a moment, and glanced back at her brother from the doorway. "How's Lieutenant Summerton?"

Sol scowled. "He could be doing better. Which is something we need to talk about…" He sighed. Diana was already gone.

* * *

At 9 am, the CHO unit assembled. All were looking forward to an explanation for their commanding officer's strange behaviour. All except for the commanding officer herself, who was currently still in her quarters, staring at her reflection. Sad, haunted eyes stared back at her, framed by black hair. She just couldn't bring herself to do so much as put it in an elastic band, let alone braid it or put it into a bun. Moodily she finished doing up her uniform, and headed to the briefing room.

She was 10 minutes late, but upon seeing her dark expression, nobody commented. They waited silently. Diana studied each member of her unit, her eyes lingering longer on Meagan, Adrian and Sol. Her anger at HQ flared once more, burning deep in her heart. How dare those bigoted fools make such a decision without even speaking with her?

"Yesterday, at 0800 hours, we received new orders. We are to give any and all information we have concerning the rebels and their camp to Admiral Ronald and his men. In two days, we will re-locate to a small base near Victoria - ZAFT has recently acquired the mass driver there, and we are to form part of those who will wear down the defenders. When we have completed this task, we will be re-assigned."

She couldn't look her team-mates in the eye as she continued. Instead, she focused on a wall hanging on the far wall. It was a Japanese wall scroll, and it had been painted by Meagan on Diana's request. She knew the words on there perfectly, even if she had little knowledge of the language. Duty and Honour.

"The Combat Heightened Operative Project, known as CHO to those who have taken part in the program, has been declared a failure." How it hurt to say that. She couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice. "Our assignment in the African Community will be our last. It is with the deepest regret that I inform you that the unit will be disbanded and its members re-assigned. The CHO project is no more."

* * *

Author's note: So begins my first exploration into the Gundam Seed universe.

Many thanks to Solid Shark who has permitted me to play around in his wonderful AU 'Birds of a Feather'. There will most certainly be more references to the events of his story as I continue.

I apologise for how similar my opening is to the one in 'Birds of a Feather' – I find it an intriguing way to introduce the main character.

There really isn't much else to say, as this is the first chapter. So please, read it, and let me know what you think. – Darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

I own nothing except Diana Stein and her unit.

'Birds of a Feather' and all associated characters, machines and events belong to Solid Shark.

* * *

"The CHO project is no more."

Silence. Hardly surprising given the news Diana had just delivered.

"What did you say?" The disbelief in Adrian's voice tugged at her.

"The CHO project is finished. We're failures; we'll be re-assigned to different units. What part of that is so hard to comprehend?"

"How about all of it!" her brother snapped, as shocked as the rest of the unit. Even Gregory appeared floored by their latest orders.

"How can you just let this happen? Why didn't you argue?" Meagan looked ready to shoot her CO if she didn't get a satisfactory answer.

Diana let go of the breath she'd been holding with a frustrated sigh. "You think I didn't try, Ensign? These orders came straight form the top. Lord Azrael himself proclaimed us a failure to my face!" Bitterness, frustration and anger all mingled in Diana's voice. "No matter how displeasing these new orders are, we just have to accept them. It's our duty as soldiers to follow our superiors' commands, even when we think they're wrong." She sighed softly.

"It's been an honour serving with you all. May the future bring us victory in all our endeavours. Dismissed." She saluted her unit, turned on her heel and left. Her own anger boiled, and she refused to take it out on her teammates - she'd already done that once, she would not do so again.

An hour later, Sol found his sister in a suspiciously empty gun range. He'd been directed here by a thoughtful Admiral Ronald, who'd already encountered the irritated Captain.

"They're really shutting us down?" Somehow, despite the softly spoken words, it seemed to echo. A single gunshot echoed before Diana replied just as softly.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It's like you said - We're failures. Despite the conditioning and training, despite the performance enhancers, we're missing something," The gun barked again, and Diana growled softly. "We never miss, we never quit, we never disobey orders - Technically we're the perfect soldiers, but it isn't enough for them. They want machines; something that can go into battle again and again. Something that won't tire, won't ever question an order… They want something less then humans."

Sol watched his sister as she reloaded, and holstered her gun. In the briefing room she had been his superior, giving them a new assignment that she'd known wouldn't be appreciated. Here she was just another soldier, as angry as the rest of the unit. More importantly, she was family, and she was hurting. He stepped forward and hugged her.

"It'll be okay. They can break the team up, but they can't break our ties to each other." He chuckled weakly. "At least this explains your recent mood. It couldn't have been easy, telling us _that_."

Diana sighed, leaning back into the embrace. "It wasn't. I knew the reaction I'd get, and I thought I was prepared for it, but…" she shuddered. "It hurt. It felt as if I was ripping out an organ."

They stayed like that for a while, both lost in their own thoughts.

* * *

Diana knocked sharply on the Admiral's door. Tucked under her arm was a folder containing the hard copy of her unit's investigations, as well as a disk that contained all the relevant information. "Enter." Diana did just that, snapping a crisp salute with her free hand.

"Admiral Ronald," she waited to be acknowledged.

"Captain Stein." The Admiral sounded tired, and was that a hint of regret in his voice? "I've heard your unit's being transferred."

"Yes sir. We're to aid in the attempt to reclaim Victoria."

The elder man snorted. "They wouldn't need to reclaim Victoria if they had you assigned there in the first place Captain. Not that I'm complaining about your unit having been assigned here." He smiled at her, glancing down at the report he'd been reading.

"I doubt I'd have made much of a difference Sir." She glanced down at the desk, and unless she was very much mistaken, knew that it was a report made by Admiral Halberton whilst he still held the rank of Captain. If she remembered correctly, it was the one he'd made concerning the effectiveness of ZAFT's mobile suits during the blockade. "Admiral Halberton was a friend of yours, wasn't he, Admiral Ronald?"

"Yes, Lewis and I went through the academy together. To have lost him in battle could be likened to losing a sibling."

Diana nodded in understanding. She knew that feeling only too well. Admittedly, Sol had actually turned up alive, but it had been a close call, and she had believed for a few days that he had been a casualty of Endymion. She held out the folder. "This is the result of our survey of the rebel camp. Seeing as we're no longer going to be around to take care of it…" She trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging.

"I'm sure we'll find it invaluable to ending these acts of terrorism." The Admiral smiled, accepting the folder. "You'd have done well in the conventional forces Captain. It's a shame you never had a chance to meet Lewis - you'd have liked each other I think."

Diana returned the smile, eyes sparkling at the irony of his statement. Of course Ronald didn't know she _had_ been with the conventional forces. "From what I've heard of Admiral Halberton, I'm inclined to agree." She straightened, saluting the man behind the desk. "It's been an honour working with you Admiral Ronald."

The Admiral rose, returning the salute. "Likewise Captain Stein." He relaxed, holding out his hand. "I hope we may meet again, Diana. Preferably without having to worry about a war."

Diana grasped the offered hand tightly. "I hope so too, Stuart. This war will end, hopefully without too many more lives being lost." The Admiral bowed his head in acknowledgement.

"What time is your departure Captain?"

"0900 hours, tomorrow."

"I'll be there to see you off, Captain."

"Thank you Sir."

"Diana?"

"Yes Admiral?"

"You're not really giving up on the CHO project this easily, are you?"

Diana turned to face him. Trust the Admiral to know more about the project and its proposed ending then he'd let on. "Sir, so long as I'm still in command of my unit and we still have a mission, I'll fight tooth and nail against this declaration. I just have to do it carefully if I wish to avoid Lord Azrael's notice."

"And why would you want to avoid his notice?"

"I'm not at liberty to say Sir."

And that was all she would ever say on the matter so long as she wore the uniform of an Atlantic Federation soldier.

* * *

It was with a heavy heart that Diana left the restricted sector that had housed her unit since its formation. There were few places that had ever felt like home, but this base had come close. Everyone she passed saluted her - Even those who did not like her personally recognised that she was one of their best, and felt some sense of loss, knowing that she and her unit would no longer be there.

"Captain Stein!" A small group of soldiers, fresh from the Academy, snapped to attention and saluted. Diana smiled, returning the salute.

"It was an honour to serve with you Captain, however briefly it may have been."

"Likewise. May we meet again, someday. Stay strong, gentlemen. You and others like you are the future of our forces."

"Yes Ma'am!"

A smile tugged at her lips as she continued towards the base's dock. The eagerness of the newly recruited always managed to leave a smile on her face.

"You seem cheerful, Captain." Diana turned to look at the new speaker.

"I ran into some of your recruits, Captain Taystron. They seem to be a rather willing bunch, instructor." She grinned at her fellow officer. The elder Captain rolled her eyes.

"Brat. You probably ran into Barnes and his lot. Over-eager, the whole bloody lot of them. Shame you won't be around to help me whip them into shape, Diana." Captain Danielle Taystron, freshly promoted to base instructor, was one of the very few people who had known Diana before her admission into the CHO Project.

An old family friend, Danielle was something of a mentor to Diana, and the best friend of Diana's mother. She'd known Diana since she was 3 years old. It had surprised them both to encounter the other here, especially when Diana had been listed as KIA.

"I'm sure you'll do a fine job on your own, Danielle." She paused, and asked the question she hadn't dared ask whilst she'd still been serving here. "Do you still speak with mother?" The elder woman smiled in understanding.

"Yes, I do. Is there a message you want me to pass on?" Diana considered it. It would be a severe breach of confidentiality, and could very well put her mother in danger… Yet she wanted to ease her mother's suffering somehow.

"Tell her… Tell her that not all is always as it seems. The Moon and Sun will always shine, no matter how dark the clouds. Tell her that the storm is coming, but she can weather it, just as she's weathered all the others. She'll understand."

Danielle chuckled. "I hope she does brat, because I sure as hell don't. But then, I'm not supposed to, now am I?" The elder captain smiled, her tone gentle as she hugged the younger woman. "May the Lady Artemis guide and protect you Diana." Diana pulled a face, showing her displeasure.

"You know I don't believe in that stuff." She complained.

"Ah, but I do. It makes me feel better, believing that there's soíeoîe to watch over you áì÷áùs, little trouble maker." Diana growled softly, stamping her foot. It was a good thing the corridor was deserted - she'd hate to have had to explain her child-like action.

"I am _not_ a trouble maker! Trouble just somehow manages to find me…" She grumbled, re-settling the bag she carried over her shoulder.

"Indeed. And if you delay any longer, you're going to be late."

"Goodbye, Danielle. Be careful."

"You too, brat."

* * *

"What kept you, Captain?" Meagan's tone was bordering on subordination. Diana ought to have reprimanded the teen for it. Then again, she'd been like this since they'd received their own orders, and as it had been said - one learnt their behaviours from their superiors.

"I ran into a few well-wishers along the way Ensign. I felt that I owed them a chance to say their farewells, if they so desired." She turned her attention to the rest of her unit. "Everyone ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be, Captain." Adrian gave a crisp salute as he spoke, and Sol and Gregory bowed their heads in agreement.

"I still don't like this." Muttered Gregory, glaring at their transport.

"I don't believe anyone here does, except perhaps Rear-Admiral Ronald, who I hear is delighted to have an elite unit onboard, if only for a short time." The whole group turned as one to salute the two approaching men.

"Rear-Admiral _Ronald_? Any relationship to you, Admiral?" Sol asked, grinning.

"As it happens, Admiral Ronald is my uncle. Please, do not think for a minute that I achieved my rank through family connections." The young man saluted the group.

"It hadn't even crossed our minds." Diana reassured him. "Captain Diana Stein, at your service, for the length of our journey at least." She continued, introducing herself.

"Rear-Admiral Jake Ronald. It's a pleasure Captain." He glanced at his uncle. "Unfortunately, we're in something of a hurry today, so I'm afraid your farewells will have to be short."

"Understood." Admiral Ronald stepped forward, saluting the group. "It's been a honour to work alongside you all. I hope that we may meet again in better times. Now, I suggest you all board, before Jake's crew decides to leave without you."

The CHO unit saluted as one. "It's been an honour Sir!" they chorused before turning and boarding, none of them looking back.

* * *

"This is the path we're taking, Captain. It'll take longer, and we'll have to watch our supplies, but its better then trying to fight off ZAFT's patrols." Diana nodded her acknowledgement, studying the map. The path Jake was suggesting was a long way off the direct approach, but unlike the more obvious path, they shouldn't have too much trouble from ZAFT.

"Is it that you don't have enough faith in your pilots, or has ZAFT stepped up their patrols?"

"Actually, it's neither of the above." Jake rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'm trying to avoid a particular ZAFT unit that always hassles us, as well as keep a promise to my Uncle."

Diana chuckled. "I do hope that whatever that promise is, you'll be able to keep it." She had an inkling of just what that promise may be. Something along the lines of not putting her unit in unnecessary danger most likely. Idly she traced their projected path. "If this unit is such a problem, perhaps my unit could help out? You've a couple of spare fighter planes onboard, correct?"

"Yes, but Captain, you really don't need…" Diana interrupted before he could continue.

"I know we don't need to, but I've antsy soldiers to deal with. There's little room for training, so this would be good for all involved. Well, except for the ZAFT forces we encounter." She nodded to the map. "Shall we plan?"

Rear-Admiral Ronald sighed. He'd promised his Uncle that he'd keep Captain Stein and her unit out of trouble whilst they were aboard. Now he understood why the Admiral had been so amused. Keeping Diana out of trouble was impossible!

* * *

In a distant corner of the ship, Ensign Meagan Taylor had convinced a reluctant Chief Petty Officer Jay Ruston to spar with her. Unbeknown to both soldiers, they were now being watched by their CO. She was quickly joined by the remainder of the unit, as the news spread across the ship that the CHO unit intended to take care of their persistent problem - the Peterson team, a ZAFT annoyance that had plagued them since the first battle of Victoria.

"Ensign, Chief, I have news."

Jay caught Meagan's punch, and quickly pulled her off balance, sending her soaring over his shoulder. "Good news I hope."

Diana allowed herself a smile as she nodded. "Very good news, Doc." Their medic scowled at that, but didn't comment. He was used to it by now.

"What kind of good news?" Meagan sounded chirpy. It was a nice change from the sullen tone that had affected her since learning that the unit would soon be disbanded.

"Well, who here wants to swat an annoying bunch of flies that seem to be bothering our new friends?"

Meagan's eyes widened. "ZAFT? I thought we were trying to avoid them? Not that I'm complaining or anything! I want a piece of those space monsters!" Diana didn't even bother picking up on Meagan's choice of words - the Ensign was unhappy enough as was.

"We were trying to avoid them, until Rear-Admiral Ronald made the mistake of mentioning the persistence of the Peterson team. We're all restless, so this will do us some good, as well as give the Rear-Admiral a little much-needed assistance." Diana smiled. "So, there's 3 unmanned Spearheads aboard. Who's in?"

Sol and Meagan replied instantly. "I'm all for it Sis. Been too long since I've been in the air."

"I am _not_ going to ignore a chance to have some fun!" Meagan declared.

Adrian, Gregory and Jay shared a look. "You should take the last one Ma'am." Adrian appeared to be the self-elected spokesperson for the trio. "You need a chance to shoot at something more then we do."

Diana chuckled. "You mean other then shooting paintballs at my team-mates, right?" Adrian's hair still held a pinkish tint after their last match. The usually stern Lieutenant grinned.

"Something like that, yeah."

The group grinned, but it didn't take long before their moods soured again. The looming disbandment of their unit continued to hang over them.

"I'm going to miss this." It was, surprisingly, Gregory that spoke first. "The banter, the relaxed manner… It's not like this in the conventional forces."

Jay nodded. "I'll admit, I'm not looking forward to being just the medic again. No respect from the average soldier, even if you save their life. You get the occasional decent one, like the Kestrel…" He trailed off, lost in thought.

Meagan blinked. "You've met the Kestrel? What about the Hawk, or the Cheetah?" Jay had caught the teen's interest, and once again the mood lightened.

"Yes, I met the Kestrel - It was only a routine check-up after battle, but she seemed the decent sort…" Diana didn't stick around to find out if Jay had met Mu La Flaga or Darren Maywood. She didn't need to, having had a couple of encounters with the Hawk of Endymion herself.

She knew he hadn't met the Cheetah - After all, the Yggdrasil Cheetah had been listed as KIA at Endymion, but before then, they'd flown together on the Grimaldi Front. She smiled sadly. Yes, they'd flown together, and would continue to do so - No one could possibly know the Cheetah better then his own sister, except perhaps his parents. Given that they believed their children to be dead, it really didn't matter.

Finding her absent-minded wandering had led her to her quarters; she flopped on to her bunk and sighed. She'd never admit it, but she really missed her parents - her mother especially. Digging underneath her pillow, she retrieved the locket she had stashed there. It was one of three items she had not been able to part with after joining the project. The other two items were currently packed neatly in the bag she had brought on board.

Gently, she opened the locket, staring down at the two faces that smiled up at her. She had her father's black hair and pale skin, but it was her mother's eyes and slim frame that many had proclaimed her most stunning features. Ironic really, ás íost people noticed tèå óémilarities between father and son when they looked at Sol, but failed to realise that his twin had the same similarities.

_The ten year old frowned thoughtfully.__ The woman beside her waited patiently, knowing the question would come when the girl was ready. _

"_Mama, how can you tell if your actions are honourable?" The girl struggled to pronounce the last word, as it was only a new addition to her vocabulary. The elder woman smiled encouragingly, pulling her daughter on to her lap. _

"_You're actions are honourable when your heart tells you that what you are doing is right." She gently took the girl's hand and placed it over her heart, both feeling the steady rhythm. "Whenever you are doubting Leah, listen to what you're heart is telling you." _

_Leah frowned. "But what do you do if you don't know what it's saying?" Her mother only smiled. _

"_You don't need to know what it's saying to listen to it, Leah. It will never lead you wrong, if you listen to it, and ignore the messages the outside world, and your own mind, will try to give you."_

Diana hadn't understood it then, and she still wasn't sure that she understood it now, but all her life, she had tried to act honourably, to listen to her heart. It was just difficult when her heart said one thing, and her mind and superiors said something completely different.

* * *

"_All hands, level one battle stations! I repeat, all hands, level one battle stations. Captain Stein, Lieutenant Stein and Ensign Taylor, report to the hangar immediately!"_

Diana awoke with a start, hardly believing that she'd drifted off to sleep. Her hand still clenched around the locket, she bolted away to answer the summons. She met with her brother and Meagan halfway there.

"Guess they don't think we know our battle stations yet." Sol said with a grin as they entered the locker-rooms. Most of the pilots had already been through, or were in the last stages of pulling on their flight-suits.

"I guess you're right." Diana agreed as she opened her assigned locker and grabbed her flight-suit. Shaking it out, she couldn't help but scowl. "Okay, whose got the sense of humour?" Both Meagan and Sol looked to see what their Captain was complaining about.

"Well what do you know, someone finally got it right." Sol teased as he pulled on his own flight-suit. The CHO unit had suits similar to the conventional forces - only the black and brown colouring set them apart. Meagan tried hard not to giggle at the disgruntled sight of her CO.

Despite her evident displeasure, Diana had already put the flight-suit on. The black and silver colouring was extremely flattering, and did an excellent job of mimicking a somewhat stylised panther. The helmet tucked under Diana's arm, shaped and painted to reflect a snarling feline, with its pale pink reflective visor, completed the outfit quite nicely.

"I don't know whose sense of humour lead to that flight-suit Captain, but I'd say a lot of work went into that." Sol nodded to the final touch, a white panther in mid-pounce, snarling defiantly at the world. "Unless I'm mistaken, that's been hand stitched. And it's all going to be pointless if we don't get moving and help out."

Megan and Diana followed him out into the hangar, the latter muttering continuously until interrupted by the arrival of the head mechanic.

"Ensign, Lieutenant, your birds are over there." The man pointed. "Please try to bring them back in one piece!"

"Don't worry Chief, we won't even scratch the paint!" Sol called back as he and Meagan bolted for their machines.

"Ma'am, there's problems with the machine you're planning to take out."

"Can it fly?"

"Yes, but…"

"Unless the problems will affect its ability to fly and shoot, it's fine. Just tell me what to expect."

The Chief mechanic sighed, trailing after the determined woman. "She's always needed to return for re-fuelling more frequently then the others. Your bird's also got a weak spot near the right wing - get hit there, and you'll lose engine power."

"Acknowledged. Anything else Chief?"

The man shook his èåáä. "Give 'em hell for õó Cáptain."

"Will do."

Diana relaxed into the seat. It had been far too long since she'd flown into battle. Too long - she was nervous, more so then her first time in the cockpit as a rookie. _'But then, I had a rookie's confidence back then. This time, I know what battle is like, and I'm still mad enough to want to go out there.'_ Musings about her sanity aside, she was looking forward to launching.

"_You're the last one, Captain Stein. Ready for launch?"_ The young CIC officer's face appeared on screen.

"One moment, Ensign. Sitrep?"

The officer checked his screens. "It's the Peterson unit. One GINN on a Guul, a CGUE on a Guul and 6 DINNs. There's also another, unknown team - 6 DINNs - but our pilots are handling them. Ensign Meagan has engaged the DINNs, and Lieutenant Stein has the CGUE."

"Acknowledged. Thanks Ensign." She flipped her visor down, the lights of her screens reflected in miniature on the visor, and she gripped her controls.

"This is the White Panther, Captain Diana Stein, F-7D Spearhead, launching. Let's see what this bucket of bolts can do!"

With that, Diana took to the skies for the first time since the nightmare that had been Endymion.

* * *

Wow. 30 hits on the first chapter! Thanks to all of you who read it, and thanks to those of you who have decided to read this chapter. No reviews, so I guess I didn't do anything wrong last chapter. Anyway, please let me know what you all think of _this_ chapter. - Darkness


	3. Chapter 3

I own nothing except Diana Stein and her unit.

'Birds of a Feather' and all associated characters, machines and events belong to Solid Shark.

* * *

The minute Diana was in the air, she found herself engaged in battle. Two DINNs had broken off from their engagement with Meagan, and had made a bee-line for the Captain's machine. She allowed herself a tiny smile as the two machines rushed her, before settling into an expressionless mask. A barrel roll ensured her enemies opening shots missed, and then _she_ was chasing _them_.

"It has been _way_ too long!" Meagan's enthusiasm didn't last long. Although she'd already dealt with two of the four DINNs that had remained to trouble her, she still had two rather persistent machines on her tail - and no-one available to assist her. Not that Meagan was the one who needed help. She just wanted to get rid of the pesky bugs so she could help the ship's pilots with _their_ DINN problem. Already one of the pilot's had been forced to make a hasty emergency landing after they'd lost half a wing. _'At least there's been no casualties.'_ She thought, turning to fire upon one of her pursuers.

Now she only had one more to rid herself of.

"_Ensign, go assist our allies, now."_ Diana sounded slightly impatient as she jetted towards Meagan and her target, being chased by the enemy GINN.

"But, you're preoccupied!" A scream and the disappearance of a friendly dot on their screens halted any further argument, and Meagan darted away, growling softly at the loss of one of their pilots.

Diana watched her go, firing at the DINN. The enemy pilot hadn't seen her coming, and the shot tore into his cockpit. Shaking her head, the Captain mused on Meagan's near-subordination for a few moments. On screen, another blip vanished - the enemy CGUE - and she quickly directed her brother towards the skirmish that Meagan and three other EA pilots were involved in.

"Sol, go help Meagan."

"_Does she even need help?"_ he grumbled, glancing between the two remaining fights. Diana was being chased by the GINN, its attacks having intensified after the death of the DINN and CGUE pilots. Meagan didn't seem to be having as much trouble, but even as he watched, two of the Alliance pilots veered away, both trailing smoke from their engines, and the other plummeted into the ocean, both wings completely gone.

"_Roger that, Captain. Assisting Ensign Taylor."_

"Alright you unnatural nuisance, now it's just the two of us. So would you just bug off?" Diana hadn't realized she'd actually been transmitting, but her opponent had.

"_How about _you_ just die?!_ _That way, you'd stop annoying me, and I wouldn't be bugging you!"_

Diana sneered, getting over her surprise at the reply quickly. "Hmm, someone sounds angry. I wonder who was in that DINN? Or was it the CGUE's demise that has you so worked up, rookie?" The only answer she got was a low growl, and a hasty grouping of shots that came a little too close for comfort. Returning fire, she darted away, trying to get a little more room for manoeuvring. The way her enemy tailed her reminded her of her own technique.

"So, rookie, you like copying a more experienced pilot's flying style?"

"_I'm not copying!"_

"Oh? Seems to me you are. Or has ZAFT forgotten about Hound? Your flying style is almost exactly the same." Diana ought to know what she was talking about - It had been _her_ flying style, whilst she was still with the conventional forces.

"_I haven't forgotten the Hound."_ The pilot sounded extremely bitter. _"How could I? He killed my brother at Endymion! So maybe I decided that it'd be ironic for the Hound to die because of his own technique!"_

"Oh boy…" Diana muttered, her machine dropping as she avoided his latest barrage. "You do realize the Hound also died at Endymion?"

"_I don't believe you!"_ In his rage, he'd left himself open for Diana's counter attack. Her beams slammed into his Guul, shredding it, and severely damaging his right leg. Without the flight support, the GINN plummeted towards the sea, but not before firing its own shots. Three of the beams missed, but the last rammed into the weak armour on her right side.

"Lieutenant, Ensign, protect the ship!" she snapped as her team-mates went to abandon their skirmish to assist her. "That's an order!" she added for extra insurance. Reluctantly, the two broke off, returning to deal with the remaining four DINNs. Now that she knew the ship would be safe, she began preparing for a rough landing.

Ironically, she followed the same path as the GINN, diving towards what would be an extremely messy landing if she didn't get her aircraft's nose up soon. Struggling with sluggish controls, she barely managed to get the nose up as she came down upon a small island.

The impact ought to have knocked her out, but the adrenaline pumping through her veins kept her conscious long enough to see her F-7D cease its forward movement, coming to a rest against a rocky outcrop. She even managed to get herself out of the cockpit and into the limited shelter offered by the rocks and her totalled machine. Collapsing, she briefly glanced around, her eyes lingering on a humanoid shape…

* * *

Meagan was fuming. She couldn't believe Diana had ordered them to stay with the ship, nor that she herself had actually _followed_ those orders. What had happened to leaving no one behind? That included their Captain, darn it! 

"Hey, Megs!" Jogging towards her was Jay Ruston.

"What do you want, Doc?" Jay frowned at the hostility Meagan had directed towards him. He could understand it, but he didn't appreciate it.

"Well, I was going to ask you to take me out - Rear-Admiral Ronald has given us clearance to search for the Captain - But after that greeting, maybe I'll go ask Sol."

"No!" Meagan winced at her own tone. "I mean, no, I'll take you." She felt stupid for not noticing that Jay wore a flight suit like her own. "Why isn't Sol coming? She is his sister after all."

Jay fell into step next to the worried teen. "Sol's staying behind so they still have one of our best pilots. They're taking a risk, staying here to allow us to look for Captain Stein, so it's the least we can do." Whilst it was part of Sol's reason, Jay felt it wise not to mention the rest of the reason the Lieutenant had given.

_Jay watched Sol with worry. The young Lieutenant was pacing, gnawing on his lip as he did so. _

"_Lieutenant? You don't want to come look for the Captain?" _

_Sol shook his head. "No." He paused, turning haunted brown eyes towards the medic. "Something's very, very wrong. I can't feel her anywhere." It was well-known amongst the unit that Sol and Diana _always_ knew where the other was, but Jay had never heard Sol refer to that connection in such a casual manner. _

"_What do you mean?" _

"_I mean what I said - I can't feel her. Whenever she's hurt, or injured, or scared, or anything, I _know_. I don't understand it myself - we've always put it down to being twins - but something's wrong." Sol paused, visibly calming himself. "Either she's too far away, or she's dead. And I'm inclined to believe the latter. I don't want to look, just in case I'm right." _

_Jay nodded in understanding. After learning that two of his superiors were twins, he'd done some research. From what he'd studied, he held the belief that twins had a sort of spatial awareness that allowed them to locate one another. Sol was really just confirming what the medic already believed._

"_Alright, I'll get Meagan to take me then. I hope, for all our sakes, that you're wrong about your sister's status Sol." _

"Hey, earth to Jay." Jay blinked, stepping back from the hand that was waving in front of his face.

"Sorry Meagan. You were saying?"

Meagan looked worried. "What… What are we looking for Doc?" She took a shuddering breath. "An injured Captain, or… or ruins and a body?"

Jay sighed. Delightful. Another member of the unit who didn't believe Diana could have survived. "We are looking for an injured, possibly unconscious woman, Ensign. I believe Captain Stein is still alive, but the landing wouldn't have been easy."

"If she managed to land at all…" Meagan muttered gloomily to herself, settling in to her cockpit. Jay heard, but chose not to comment _'My team-mates are pessimists. Am I the _only_ optimist on board?'_

* * *

The first thing Diana became aware of as she awoke was a sharp pain in her left wrist. Undoubtedly, it had been broken during her landing. As the rest of her senses began to feed her clouded mind information, she realized that she was not alone. Turning fractionally, she discovered that she had company in the form of a dozing ZAFT pilot.

Keeping in mind that she didn't want to alert the greencoat, she studied her surroundings, and her captor. Her ruined aircraft glinted faintly in the dying light - The battle had taken place around midday, so she'd been unconscious for several hours. She also guessed that this was probably the most sheltered area; else surely the enemy pilot would have chosen a different place to set up camp? Towards the edge of the outcrop was a bundle of wood, evidently in preparation of the night - So, she wasn't the only one who felt certain they'd be stuck here overnight.

The enemy pilot had been thorough in removing anything that she could have used to escape. She could see her combat knife and handgun glittering in the fading sunlight, a metre behind the greencoat. To get them, she'd have to go through him. Not an easy task - he had been _very_ careful. There mustn't have been a large supply of rope in ZAFT's survival packs, as he'd used medical bandages to hobble her feet. A belt of bandages looped around her waist, and another strand ran between her hands and the makeshift belt.

'_Damn, this is an awkward situation. This would be easy, if I wasn't _injured_.'_ Musings aside, she felt her face heat as she studied her captor. He was just a kid! Couldn't be a day over 17, tops! If she got out of this, she was never, ever mentioning it to her unit. Caught by a kid! Admittedly, a coordinator pilot who'd evidently had training, but still just a child in comparison to most of the unit.

After 10 minutes of being awake, Diana discovered that the way she was positioned, whilst it gave her a decent view of the area, was also extremely uncomfortable. It did not help that a rather sharp rock was digging in to her side. _'Stuff it. Stuff trying to keep the brat from waking up.'_ She shifted, wriggling away from the rock, and into a more acceptable position. Sharp pain from her wrist caused her to gasp - Withdrawal symptoms, cuts and bruises she could handle without a sound, but it had been a long time since she'd _broken_ anything, and she was _not_ thankful for the reminder.

Her mood darkened as she felt the teen's gaze focus on her. Ignoring it for the moment, she studied the skies. "I'd bring that wood in closer if I were you. It'll rain tonight. It'd make gathering it pointless if it got wet." She didn't bother to look at the other pilot as she spoke, keeping her eyes on the clear sky.

"Are you nuts? The sky's clear! You're just trying to distract me!"

"How long have you been on Earth, brat?"

"You're in no position to be calling me a brat, _natural_." He said the word as if it was a curse. Perhaps to him it was, but not to Diana.

"Just answer the question." She couldn't keep the impatience out of her voice.

She waited, counting silently to ten. Just as she reached the final number, and the end of her currently limited patience, he answered. "A month." He sounded somewhat sulky.

"So, after a month, you know more about the weather here then someone who's lived their whole life down on the ground? Trust me kid, it'll rain. Might even get a storm, if we're unlucky. Hope we don't though, they're pretty nasty this time of the year."

"A storm?" Worry, and a tiny bit of fear crept into his voice.

"Don't tell me, you've never been in a storm before, right?" Diana finally turned to look at the other pilot. He nodded, looking extremely gloomy. She was fairly certain her own expression mimicked his. "Well, seeing as I'm a little… tied up at the moment, I'll just have to do my best to help you prepare the area as best as possible."

"Why would you do that? We're enemies."

Diana sighed, mentally digging for the patience that had made her such a good instructor when it came to rookies. It seemed that the battle had used up the last of it. "Kid, I'm currently dependent on _you_, much as I hate to admit it. You're _good_ with your knots. Broken wrist or not, I'd need at least an hour to get my hands free, and that would be without you watching my every move. So, until further notice, let's try working together, and hope that all we have to deal with tonight is a little rain."

Still reluctant, but willing to accept her offer as the training he'd received at the Academy had _not_ included what to do if trapped on an island with a wounded natural, and a possible storm approaching, he nodded his acceptance.

"Before you start ordering me around," he grimaced at his choice of words, "I'd appreciate your name. And not your alias either - I know you're the White Panther - What's a ground soldier doing flying anyway?"

Diana smirked. So he had some idea of who he was dealing with, did he? "Captain Diana Stein, and I was a pilot before I was a ground combatant, brat. Now, seeing as I've kindly introduced myself, you will kindly do the same."

"Christopher Loyal, Peterson team."

'_Ex-Peterson more like,'_ Diana thought, glancing idly at the wood pile. "For starters, you should bring that in closer, so it's under the rock. Then you should see what you can do to block the area off from the elements. I suppose there wasn't a more sheltered position?" Christopher shook his head. "This will have to do then."

* * *

It started with rain. A hell of a lot of rain. Most of it remained outside their hastily constructed enclosure - a small amount of it trickled down into a pot placed strategically beneath a section that made a natural, miniature waterfall. It had, surprisingly, been Christopher's idea. It had been Diana who'd gotten the fire going - he'd untied her hands, and had yet to re-tie her. They both waited silently for their coffee to boil. By the time they had the cups in hand, the wind was howling insistently.

Christopher shivered, shifting closer to the fire, and subconsciously, towards the closest comfort - Diana. She'd expected him to stay awake, or at least ensure that she couldn't escape, but the teen ended up falling to sleep. She contemplated escape for a moment, but watching the sleeping figure changed her mind. Besides, her predicted storm was very near arrival - trying to leave would be pointless.

She kept the fire blazing, but despite the fire's warmth, Christopher was still shivering. A blanket was wrapped around her shoulders, and Diana decided she could do without it - the brat needed it more. As she tucked the blanket around him, the first flash of lightening struck, and shortly after, thunder rumbled, startling the ZAFT pilot awake.

His sleepy mind misinterpreting Diana's actions, he grabbed her, and after a few minutes of brawling, found himself pinned down, staring up into gentle brown eyes. "Kid, if I wanted you dead, you'd already be dead." She leant back, keeping the light pressure on his neck. He realized that she'd managed to liberate his combat knife, and was holding it against his throat.

"You wanted me dead when we were in the skies!"

"No, I did not. I was defending my ship. Whether you died or not was inconsequential, so long as my comrades were safe." She sighed. "It's the same now. If I believed you to be a threat to my team, or myself, you'd be dead." She withdrew the blade, moving back to her side of the fire as thunder rumbled once again. Christopher flinched at the sound.

"So this whole time, you haven't believed me to be a threat?"

"Exactly. Your machine has to be as bad as my own. Also, I lied about the knots - It would have taken me 10 minutes, if I really wanted to escape. However, until someone finds us, there's no point."

Christopher glared at Diana, visibly jumping at the latest round of thunder. "There isn't enough of my team left to find me, is there?"

Diana shrugged, shifting closer to the warmth of the fire. "I don't know. Personally, I doubt it. Meagan and Sol are extremely effective pilots." She struggled to keep her eyes open - the day's events were catching up to her. It didn't seem to matter that she'd been unconscious for several hours, she was still exhausted. If she'd thought about it, she may have realized that she was unnaturally tired. "Look, you've already dozed, and I need sleep. Can I trust you not to stab me in the back whilst I'm sleeping?"

"I'd never harm a defenceless person, and someone who's sleeping is just that!"

Diana smiled at his angered exclamation. "Good. It's nice to see that a soldier's honour hasn't entirely vanished. Night brat." She lay down, curling into a tight ball. Looking at her, she resembled an overgrown feline hybrid. Christopher shook his head, and stretched out himself.

"It's Chris…" He muttered softly as he began to drift off. "Not brat, not kid… Chris."

* * *

It had been 4 days. Even Jay was starting to lose hope that they'd find their Captain alive. There had been no distress signal, nothing. It was as if Diana had vanished completely. The Rear-Admiral and his crew were getting more then a little antsy. Every day spent looking for the Captain increased the chances of being located by ZAFT forces.

Every time someone suggested giving up, it was Adrian who would stare them down, and if anyone argued…

"Lesson 7: Leave no one behind. Never abandon your own." The particular crewman Adrian had just addressed looked ready to punch the marksman. Understandable, given that Adrian had just quoted the Grimaldi Falcon to the other man.

"Don't spout space monster rubbish at me!"

"It is a good philosophy, regardless of its origins." The other man spluttered, storming away. Something had made him re-think his decision, possibly the appearance of a foul tempered Meagan. She'd been extremely moody since they lost Diana, and everyone had learnt to stay out of her way.

"I'm going out again. I'm going to find her." The teen declared, glaring at the group in defiance, daring someone to argue.

"I'll go as well. There's a better chance of finding her with two machines searching then just one." Adrian halted an opposition before it could be formed with the logic of his intent. Meagan nodded sharply, stalking away towards the hangar.

"You still believe you'll find her?" Sol looked up from his position in the corner.

"I'm not going to give up just yet. I'm going to give her another 3 days. If we haven't found her by then… Then even I'll admit defeat. I find it unusual that her brother gave up before the rest of us…"

If Sol felt anything at that statement, he chose not to show it.

* * *

'_A week,'_ he thought bitterly, _'a week, and still nothing. We're still stuck here.'_ Christopher sighed. Diana had gone hunting - several bird species could be found on the island, and she'd better aim then he did. In fact, she was better at _everything_. Cooking, combat, hunting, survival knowledge… It was strange, he'd always believed naturals were the inferiors, but he'd been wrong. Training, experience and perseverance outdid natural talent and ability.

"Someone seems contemplative." Christopher turned to frown at Diana - he'd gotten to recognise her habits, so he wasn't surprised by her seemingly sudden appearance.

"Just thinking about… things." He offered evasively. Diana shrugged, dropping down next to him and beginning to prepare the birds she'd caught. She motion towards the jumble of wires and electronics at his feet with her knife.

"Any luck with that yet?"

"Almost. I think I should be able to get it set up by tonight." The jumble was an attempt to create a distress signal - both machines had fried their own components, but by taking the few working remains, Chris was hoping to create a distress beacon.

"Be nice if you did - The island vacation has been great, but I want to get back to my unit." They worked in silence for a while.

"Captain Stein?"

"Yeah?"

"When we were fighting… You said the Hound had been killed at Endymion… But our military intelligence hasn't said a thing… Is he really dead?"

"Lesson 11: 'Military Intelligence' is usually a contradiction in terms." She may not have a great opinion of the Grimaldi Falcon, but his 'Lessons of War' were rather correct usually. "For starters, I'll point this out now - Hound was a she, not a he. Secondly, she didn't die _at_ Endymion, she died from wounds sustained _from_ Endymion. It was the last GINN she destroyed that inflicted the damage, and heartbreak that did the rest."

Christopher looked confused. "Heartbreak?"

Diana nodded. So the story she was weaving wasn't quite true - It was close enough to the official reports that it didn't matter. The other pilot could look it up, and end up believing the same lie as the rest of the EA. "Heartbreak. Her brother was the Yggdrasil Cheetah, a pilot of a Moebius Zero."

"He died at Endymion, didn't he?"

"Yes."

Christopher was silent for a long time. "I guess revenge is a pretty pointless desire then."

"Guess so."

Something in the wires sparked, and a little light blinked at the male. "Yes! I think it's working!" Diana grinned.

"Good, maybe someone will finally find us and get us out of here."

"Us?"

"Yes, us. I'm not leaving you behind to starve, brat."

* * *

Meagan had finally gotten a lock on the distress signal. However, she desperately needed to refuel. If she continued, she'd end up needing to be rescued herself. She also needed sleep. _'I'm sorry Captain, you'll have to wait one more night. Please be okay…'_

She didn't even know if the distress beacon was Diana's, but she knew it wasn't ZAFT's - It was a general distress call, not specifying one military or another. Turning her machine, she made sure to memorise the coordinates so she could return tomorrow.

* * *

It had started a couple of hours after Chris had gotten their distress beacon working. Small, sharp, _persistent_ jabs of pain, starting at her wrist and working its way up her arm before spreading to the rest of her body. At first she was able to ignore it, but as the afternoon passed, and sun began to set, the pain continued to increase.

Her clouded mind was able to offer an explanation as she nibbled on the food they'd cooked - She was going through a nasty bout of withdrawal. It had happened once before, when she'd been unable to get to the medics for her monthly shots. That had only been a few months after the Project had started, so it had taken longer, and the symptoms had been less severe.

Now, after over 6 months in the Project, it was hardly surprising that having missed her latest injections was having such an effect. This knowledge was hardly of any use or comfort to Christopher when she passed out.

He couldn't wake her. One moment, she'd been sitting there, staring blankly at the underside of the F-7D, the next she'd been sprawled out in the ground, shivering and twitching. He didn't know what was happening, and he was worried.

Despite the fact she was shivering, she was burning up. He wrapped her in a blanket, determined to at least sweat out the fever she seemed to have. Several times throughout the night the captain would cry out, and he would hurry over, only to find her still asleep.

It was a long night.

Movement. Hushed voices, and then the sound of a gun being removed from its holster. Christopher eyes snapped open, and he found himself looking down the barrel of an Earth Alliance standard issue handgun. The calm, emotionless face behind it was worrying. His gaze wandered over to the other side of the fireplace, to where a young girl was kneeling next Diana. These then, had to be her team-mates, or at least her allies.

"Captain Stein needs medical attention. I don't care what you do to me, so long as she gets the help she needs."

The gunman frowned, before stepping back. "Ensign?"

"The space monster's right - We need to get her back _now_." The girl didn't sound too pleased to be admitting that Chris was correct.

"You take the Captain, Meagan." The girl nodded, and surprised Chris by carefully lifting the elder woman. She hadn't seemed the type to be able to move Diana. Chris decided he never wanted to give 'Meagan' a reason to get annoyed with him.

"You," the gunman returned his full attention to Chris, "You will come with me, pilot. Get up, and keep your hands where I can see them."

As he got up, he noticed that the girl and Captain were already gone. Distantly he heard an aircraft's engines. The gunman holstered his weapon, thoroughly frisking Christopher - he found nothing, as Diana and Chris had agreed to remain unarmed whilst they remained on the island.

"Your name and unit?"

"Christopher Loyal, last assigned to the Peterson unit." He felt rather then saw the EA soldier nod. His hands were tied securely behind his back, and he was directed towards an intact F-7D Spearhead.

"Get in." Chris did as directed, albeit with a large amount of difficulty. In the end, his captor had grabbed a hold of his flight suit and hoisted him into the navigator's seat.

The flight to the ship was short and uneventful. The activity in the hangar worried him, especially the group of medics clustered around a medical trolley. He didn't get to see much else, as his captor handed him over to a couple of crewman, who man-handled him out of the hangar and away to the ship's brig.

It wasn't until he'd been shut in that he was able to analyse the hectic scene that had been the hangar, and noticed some rather unusual differences amongst the people that had been there. There had been three people near the trolley, all wearing the uniform of the EA - what had stood out was the colours.

Unlike the Atlantic Federation white, or the Eurasian Federation's white tinted blue, they had been wearing a dark blue top, with brown trousers. He'd never heard of any of the EA's military wearing _those_ colours. Now that he considered it, the two pilots he'd encountered had been wearing standard flight suits in different colours too. Shades of brown and grey, if he remembered correctly. Just who the hell _were_ they? And if Diana was their superior, who the hell was _she_?

It seemed he'd have plenty of time to think about it, now that he was a prisoner or war. He just hoped this ship's crew would treat their POW with some consideration.

* * *

Author's note: Diana returns to the cokpit for the first time since Endymion, and finds that she's not as good as she once was. A little more of the nature of the CHO project is revealed, and Diana's unit now have a prisoner to worry about.

I know there's at least one person still with me, so I'd like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who are reading this. I'd also like to point out the existence of the review button. I **don't** hold my writing hostage and demand a ransom in the form of reviews, but they **do** help me improve my writing. Right now, I'd even settle for a flame (although constructive criticism is preferred) - at least I'd know then if people like this fanfic.

Even if it's just to point out a spelling mistake, I'd appreciate the feedback. - Darkness


	4. Chapter 4

I own nothing except Diana Stein and her unit.

'Birds of a Feather' and all characters, machines and events be

* * *

It was a solemn group that faced Jay as he exited the medical sector. The unit and Rear-Admiral Ronald had been banished from the room within minutes of escorting Diana up. Only Jay, with his medical experience, had been allowed to remain. 

"How is she?" Sol asked, staring at the closed door that separated him from his sister.

"She has a broken wrist, and she's suffered a major withdrawal due to missing her last intake. Other then that, she should be fine. She'll recover, but she'll be off full duty for a few weeks - She'll have the arm in a sling so as to discourage her from using the wrist before it's fully healed. She'll also be making regular trips to sickbay until they've regulated her drugs again."

The group breathed a collective sigh of relief. "She got off lightly…" Meagan mused, looking at the group. "Her machine was totalled. She should have more then a broken wrist, after the landing she went through."

"It's just one of those lucky things." Gregory offered.

Sol nodded distractedly. "When…" He didn't even get a chance to finish his sentence.

"Now if you want, but she is asleep." Jay smiled, "As for the rest of us, I recommend dinner - unless I'm the only one who hasn't eaten yet?" As the rest of the group filed away towards the cafeteria, Sol entered the room his sister was in. Lights blinked at him, and machines hummed, but he didn't mind - it meant that Diana was alive.

'_Why didn't I feel you, Diana? Why was there an empty space where you're meant to be?'_ The silent, pale figure on the bed didn't have an answer.

* * *

It had been 3 days since she'd been picked up by Meagan and Adrian. She'd already suffered through a brotherly 'what the hell were you thinking?!' rant, which had been followed by a 'explain why the ZAFT pilot wasn't restrained when we arrived' from Adrian. She'd survived both, and even managed to handle the 'he's your prisoner, and injured or not, you'll take responsibility for him' from the Rear-Admiral on the second day. 

No, it was being confined to her quarters that was driving her batty. The medical personnel had decided the best way to keep her from re-damaging her wrist was to keep her away from any and all possible risks, no matter how small. Needless to say, Diana was not pleased with that decision.

Sol, Meagan, Jay and even Adrian dropped by occasionally to keep her company, but they couldn't stay with her all the time. Someone tapped on the door, breaking her out of her negative thoughts. "Enter."

Jay entered, carrying a plate of food. "Lunch. And some news for you as well."

Diana smiled. "News first, lunch second."

"We'll be arriving at our destination by tomorrow afternoon. What's more, the medics have decided that you don't have to be confined to your quarters anymore."

"Hmm, all good news… That seems rather unnatural. What's the bad news?"

"You have to decide what to do with your prisoner, and the lunch menu consists of chicken and salad, or, wouldn't you know it, chicken and salad."

Diana chuckled despite herself. She wasn't sure what she _was_ going to do with Loyal, but Jay's annoyance at there only being his least favourite meat available was amusing enough to keep her mind off it, if only for a little while.

"Thanks Doc. It'll be good to get out of here. Even one day confined to quarters is more then any sane person can take, let alone three!"

* * *

She watched the sleeping ZAFT pilot. He'd yet to notice the Captain waiting outside his cell, and she doubted he'd notice unless she entered the cell. _'Let sleeping dogs lie…'_ she mused, sighing softly. She'd formed something resembling a plan, and had kept in mind DiFalco's Lesson 10: The more complex the plan, the greater the chance of failure. As such, what she intended to do was simple - Christopher Loyal, as of that moment, was _her_ prisoner. The reason she would give her superiors? Diana had no faith in the conventional forces, especially those in charge of the few POWs they had. 

Now all she had to do was inform him. Oh, and keep Meagan under control. The young woman would be mutinous about this decision.

"Pilot Loyal." The boy stirred but didn't awaken. Diana growled softly. "Pilot Christopher Loyal, you will wake up now!" she ground out, satisfied when Chris shot upright and blinked owlishly at her.

"Captain Stein. So you've recovered?"

"Enough that I can resume the majority of my duties, yes."

"Then why are you here? I can't believe your duties include dealing with a prisoner…"

Diana smiled, and Chris felt a chill run down his spine. She really looked like a feline that was toying with a mouse when she grinned like that.

"If I were with the conventional forces, you'd be right - I could send someone _else_ to deal with you. I'd never have to speak to you again, which is the way most Captains prefer it. However, I'm with the _Special _Forces - a rather classified sector at that - and so I _have_ to deal with you myself." She considered what she'd just finished saying.

"Well, I could make another member of my unit do this, but as that consists of a non-talkative pilot, an over-talkative pilot, a coldly professional pilot, an extremely annïùing medic and a pilot whï'ó a Blue Cosmos loyalist, I think it's better that I deal with you myself."

Chris' eyes widened at the mention of Blue Cosmos, and he nodded enthusiastically. "I see what you mean…"

"Good. You're intelligent, for a male."

Chris scowled at the comment, but quickly regained his composure. "So to what do I owe this honour?"

Diana studied Christopher. She'd yet to take the time to look for any files the Alliance may have had on the ZAFT pilot. She didn't need those files to know that the man before her was a boy in appearance only. She didn't need them to see that spark of intelligence, that calm acceptance that was reflected in his eyes. No, she didn't need any files to understand Christopher Loyal. She could read everything she needed to know in those determined amber eyes.

"The people who handle the prisoners of war are hopeless. They keep a careful eye on the rookies, and can't recognise a greencoat from a red. Someone like you would have little difficulty escaping. So you're not going to get that opportunity. When we arrive at our destination, you'll be officially listed as a prisoner of the CHO unit. The conventional forces aren't going to get the chance to make fools of themselves by losing another prisoner."

"You're a good actress Captain, but that isn't the real reason is it?"

Diana smiled. "I've no idea what you're talking about Loyal. It's pure coincidence that our destination also happens to have the highest Blue Cosmos supporting population of any base in contested territory."

Christopher paled at that.

"Contrary to the rumours, I'm not completely heartless. Better one known blue cosmos member that I can control, then an unknown quantity that I can't order around. You'd be a lamb to the slaughter brat, and like anyone in this damn war, I've enough blood on my hands as is."

Diana turned on her heel, and was almost out of the brig when Christopher spoke again.

"Thank you, Captain."

* * *

_Fear. He couldn't explain it, didn't know why he was so scared. One moment he'd been happily throwing a tennis ball against the wall, the next he'd been overwhelmed by panic. It was almost as if he was trapped, and… The young boy blinked. The feeling was gone. _

_Shrugging, he returned to his game, briefly wondering where his sister was. The unknown fear wept over him again, and he closed his eyes against the emotion. It only intensified, and he could swear he saw the tree-house his sister had insisted they build. Only it wasn't any view he was used to. It was as if he was stuck amongst the branches below the window. _

_Worry flickered through him. Hadn't Leah said she was going to work on the tree-house earlier? He knew it was his own fear and worry that overwhelmed him now. Running into the house, he interrupted his parents, despite their earlier claims that to bother them now would get them grounded for life. _

"_Mama, Papa, Leah's hurt!" how he knew, he didn't know, but both his parents politely excused themselves from their clients and followed their son down to the bottom of their property. _

_Caught in the branches below the tree-house's window was an extremely pale eight year old girl, a small cut on her forehead bleeding freely. "Please, help me!" The boy whimpered, feeling his sister's pain and fear as if it was his own. _

"_Darren, please go tell Mr and Mrs. Connor that we'll have to reschedule our meeting." The boy looked at his mother, and nodded, hurrying to do as instructed. _

Sol was broken out of his thoughts as his sister swept him off his feet with a swift kick. If he hadn't been distracted, it never would have connected. Diana offered him a hand up, and gave him that 'you're not leaving until I know what's on your mind' look. Accepting the help, he sighed.

"You remember the day we first discovered the twin thing, right?"

Diana nodded slowly. "The day I fell out of the tree house, fractured my ankle and almost developed a fear of heights? It's a bit difficult to forget, Sol."

Her twin rolled his eyes. "It was also the day we discovered that we had more then your average sibling connection." He got straight to the point. "I couldn't feel you Diana. Nothing. No fear, no relief, no pain. It was as if you ceased to exist." He sighed shakily. "I thought you were dead."

Diana shrugged. She personally believed her brother's ability to sense her was just an extension of his spatial awareness. Just as he had bad days with that, he was bound to have bad days with sensing her. "Well, I think you'd know if I were dead, Sol. You were just having a bad day. I wouldn't worry about it." She smiled gently.

"I wasn't really in any danger anyhow. I had the situation under control, once I realised what was going on. Now let's get going, before anyone decides they need to talk to us, and I get sprung disobeying Doc's orders."

Despite his sister's reassurances, he knew he'd still worry about it for a long time to come.

* * *

"It's been an honour serving with you, Captain." Jake Ronald saluted crisply, his chosen guards quickly following suit. Diana straightened, very aware of the audience they had for this departure. She shifted the bag she carried to her left shoulder, returning the salute with her now-free right hand. 

"The honour was ours, Rear-Admiral. I'm just glad everything turned out well." The rest of her unit saluted, and moved off, tailed closely by the 'escort' the small base's commanding officer had sent to greet them. Sol had already expressed his opinion of that.

"_What the hell is he thinking, sending such a miserable looking escort? Hell, most of them are rookies, fresh out of the Academy!" Sol glared at the group that waited on the docks. _

_He was right, their escort consisted of Ensigns and crewmen, and all of them looked too enthusiastic and certain of themselves to be veterans. Diana smiled grimly. "I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on them as well as our surroundings then." _

"Good luck Captain Stein, to you and your team. I hope that we may meet again sometime, away from the battlefield." Diana smiled at that.

"That would be nice." She nodded to the awaiting escort, "I do believe we've kept them waiting long enough. Good bye, good luck, and take care of yourself, Jake." She held out her hand, and found it grasped lightly.

The Rear-Admiral looked her in the eye and smiled, knowing the White Panther sincerely meant what she said. "The same to you, Diana. Try not to get into too much trouble." The two parted with a grin, Diana herding her team and their new prisoner after their escort; Jake turning back towards his ship.

"Rear-Admiral?" One of his men was watching the CHO unit as they left.

"Yes Ensign, what is it?"

"Sir, do you think they'll survive it?"

"Who and what, Ensign?"

"The base Sir. Are they going to survive having the White Panther and her unit?"

Jake turned back to watch the six-man team. Almost as if she could feel his gaze, Diana turned her head slightly, raising a hand in farewell. Returning the gesture, he glanced at the curious ensign. "I don't know if they'll survive Ensign, but I know ZAFT will regret ever having occupied Victoria." 

That received several chuckles from the men around him. Yes, ZAFT was going to regret having taken Victoria from them, once the White Panther arrived on the scene.

* * *

They had been waiting for over two hours. Even Adrian, with his seemingly infinite patience, was starting to show signs of annoyance. The room they had been directed to was bare, with only five useable seats. The sixth was little better then kindling, and for the first half an hour, they'd entertained themselves by taking guesses at what had caused it, the suggestions getting sillier each round. Her favourite so far had been Chris' suggestion - he'd been glared into silence by the rest of her unit afterwards, but they'd appreciated it too.

_Jay shrugged, considering the broken chair. He was starting to run out of ideas. "Their heaters died, and they found any and all burnable material to make a bonfire to stay warm. They broke the chair up, but__ before they could use it, they managed to fix their heating system." _

_Meagan yawned. "That's so boring Doc. I say they shredded it to make torture devices." She received blank looks from the rest of the unit as she stood to give Adrian a chance to sit for a while. "You guys never watched Buffy, did you?" Diana managed to keep a straight face, understanding what the Ensign was on about having once shared the interest in the old series, but not wanting to ruin it for Meagan. _

"_Stakes of wood kill vampires, and seeing as coordinators are little better then those blood-suckers…" She grinned cruelly, glaring at their coordinator prisoner. "Poetic justice." _

_Diana had to hand it to the ZAFT pilot. He didn't even flinch. Rather, he looked thoughtful. Silence reigned for a few minutes, before the amber-eyed pilot looked up and spoke. "Someone got so sick of waiting that they deliberately smashed the chair into pieces and ensured it was left here so other bored people would have something to do whilst waiting for an inconsiderate commanding officer to call them into his office." _

_Diana raised an eyebrow, and received a tiny smirk in return. He'd spoken loud enough that anyone on the other side of the closed door would be able to hear it. The rest of the unit just glared at Chris, and after a few moments, he dropped his gaze back down to the floor. _

"Argh! I'm getting sick of waiting!" Meagan leapt to her feet, pounding her frustration into the wall. Nobody moved to stop her, as they all felt exactly the same way. After five minutes however, the wall was starting to look a little worse for wear, and Diana stood to encourage Meagan to take on a target that could fight back. Before she intercepted Meagan's blows, she motioned to the two empty seats, and waited until Sol and the surprised Christopher were no longer standing.

"Ensign, if you need to get your frustration out, you have five willing, or perhaps not so willing opponents. Stop beating up on the innocent wall." Meagan's attack came without warning, but Diana hadn't spent the past 18 years training in hand to hand combat for nothing. She easily side-stepped the frustrated attack, grabbed the arm, and yanked Meagan off-balance as she delivered a round-house kick to the girl's side.

Meagan recovered both her balance and the proper mentality for this type of fight. Now, she began circling her Captain, looking for an opening. She found one. The next few minutes were hard to follow, but ended swiftly as Meagan went flying into the wall.

"Oww…" muttered the dazed girl, as Diana offered her a hand up.

"Feel better?"

Meagan nodded, and just as she moved away, the door opened.

"The Captain will see you now." The young secretary who'd spoken seemed to shrink as she received the total attention of the group. Diana bowed her head in acknowledgement, releasing Meagan's hand and straightening her somewhat crumpled uniform. She wasn't Adrian - she could not spar with someone and _not_ get some creases in the material. How the marksman managed to do it, she'd never know.

At least the Lieutenant's hair had returned to its usual blonde - although he had admitted that the roots hadn't quite lost their pale pink tint. It wasn't noticeable, so it didn't bother Adrian as much as it could. The rest of the unit sorted themselves out, and as an afterthought, Sol helped their prisoner to his feet. Christopher managed a grateful smile before his attention was drawn to the doorway by an obnoxious voice.

"Well hurry it up, I don't have all day!"

Christopher didn't need to see the way Diana stiffened to know that this Captain's arrogance was not going to be well received by the CHO unit. _He_ already didn't like the man, and it had _nothing_ to do with the fact they were on opposite sides. As he was herded into the large office, a part of him hoped Diana would give her equal the dressing down he deserved.

The rest of him was simply hoping that he'd survive the encounter with the egotistical Captain.

The thin, wiry Captain kept his attention on the document he had as the group filed in. He only looked up as the unit saluted, minus one. The fact Diana did not salute made him scowl. Diana just ignored what she considered to be childish behaviour - they were the same rank after all, so she didn't have to salute.

"Captain Stein, isn't it? And the other members of the CHO project… You and your unit are quite the mystery, Stein."

Diana resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Honestly, why was such a fool currently in charge of the attempts to soften ZAFT's Victorian defences? Where were the higher-ranking officers? "Only to those without the proper authorisation, Captain Carleton." She'd finally remembered his name from the reports Jake had given her. She also remembered that the Rear-Admiral hadn't had anything good to say about Matt Carleton. The younger Captain was beginning to understand why.

"Very well, Captain Stein. Are these arrangements suitable?" Carleton asked with a sneer. Diana kept her face expressionless, chancing a quick glance at her second in command, who nodded. Sol had noticed his sister's preoccupation, and had taken careful note of Carleton's rant.

Accepting Sol's confirmation, she bowed her head slightly. "Thank you, Carleton." She motioned her unit towards the door, and they happily filed out, not wanting to stay a moment longer in the presence of the incompetent base commander.

"One moment, Stein." He either didn't hear or chose to ignore Jay's mutters of 'which one?'. "What do you plan to do with that ZAFT pilot?" He glared at Chris, as if to emphasize his evident dislike of the coordinator.

"The greencoat stays with us. The conventional forces have lost too many prisoners as is. Until I'm shown otherwise, I'll not risk the incompetency of forces I don't know." Her real reason went unspoken, but Christopher couldn't help but wonder if Captain Carleton had a screw loose.

The overconfident male seemed to begrudgingly accept the answer, even though to Chris, everything about Diana's stance and manner screamed that she was only telling half the truth. "You'd best keep that vermin out of my men's sight then," sneered the older Captain. "They're not too forgiving, and we lost too many comrades at Victoria."

Diana's voice was icy when she replied, sending shivers down the spine of the two males present. "Don't worry, Carleton - You won't even know he's here." With that, she swept out of the room, Chris following meekly behind. Whenever he started to forget that Diana was the White Panther, an EA soldier with a reputation for ruthlessly cold operations, she always did something that quickly jerked him back into the reality of the situation.

Diana was a Captain of enemy forces, with a unit that would happily dispose of him if they ever viewed him as a threat. She was his captor, and he was her prisoner. Sometimes, with her consideration and acceptance, it was very, very hard to remember they were on opposite sides.

He'd always heard terrible things about naturals - the blockade, Junius 7 and the whole damn war seemed to reflect that. He'd heard the propaganda spouted by Blue Cosmos and other naturals, and yet… Diana didn't act like that at all. Friend or foe, she treated people with respect regardless of their allegiance. She didn't fit with his view of naturals. None of her unit did, even Meagan, who was a Blue Cosmos supporter.

He was so distracted with his thoughts that he didn't realise the group had stopped, and crashed into Adrian's back. Rather then lose his temper as Christopher had expected, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Adrian Summerton just untangled himself, and set the younger male back on his feet with an understanding smile. Chris followed the Lieutenant's soft gaze to the Captain, and realization dawned.

Adrian just gave a tiny nod, confirming Christopher's thoughts. "Captain, I'll get the prisoner settled."

Meagan pulled a face at Adrian. "You just don't want to have to help clean this place up." The ensign grumbled. "They could have at least checked over the building's structure before they assigned us to it."

Jay chuckled weakly. "They probably did. Captain Carleton doesn't like us. He probably -" Chris didn't get to hear any more, as Adrian guided him through the dilapidated barracks, heading towards what looked like the most solid room in the building. Judging from the barred window on the door, this room had been used for a similar purpose before.

Both males grimaced at the sight of a rather large brown stain on the cement floor. To Christopher's surprise, Adrian quickly released him from the hand cuffs. Shocking the young coordinator further, the other male removed his blue jacket, revealing a faded red shirt beneath, and draped the material over the unsightly stain, before backing towards the door. Noticing the look he received, Adrian smiled.

"The Captain believes you've a good head on your shoulders, and I'd have to agree. Despite being aware of that, she seems to think you're not going to try and escape. As such, her orders were that you have free movement when in here." He nodded to the jacket. "And that just gives the wrong impression. Maybe other soldiers don't have much discipline, but that isn't the case with the members of the CHO unit."

_That_ really startled Chris. "You think that someone… someone killed the previous occupant?" His words were more strained then he'd have liked.

"I've heard stories. Whether there's any truth to them…" Adrian shrugged. "I'm just a marksman. Captain Stein's the one who understands people." With that, he left, the door's lock clicking shut with an air of finality.

Chris wandered over to the room's single bed, swiping at the too well-made sheets; he flopped down, rolling onto his side. "I'm never going to understand these people." He muttered, staring at the jacket.

"Never."

* * *

Three days passed with little incident. The CHO unit had spent the time 'renovating'. The barracks they'd been assigned had been ill cared for, and so they'd been forced to tidy up before they could even hope to settle in for the duration of their stay, however long that would be. 

In her quarters, Diana flicked through the latest report Gabriel had sent. At least he'd realised that the movements of the Archangel and her unusual crew were of an interest to the young Captain. Actually, as Jay had so kindly pointed out when she'd received the report, her quest for information concerning the Archangel was nearing obsession. Of course, that was the last he'd said on the matter, having keenly felt the chilling glare she'd sent his way.

Who cared if it was becoming an obsession? _Something_ had DiFalco worried; enough that he'd willingly joined forces with an earth Alliance ship. And this other coordinator, whom Gabriel referred to as Falcon's protégée… Well, she was curious. More then curious. In fact, she'd actually made an appearance amongst the local black marketeers within the first two days of being here.

She wasn't afraid to admit it to herself - She was extremely interested in the two coordinators onboard the Archangel. She just wouldn't admit it to anyone else, not even her brother.

Sighing softly, she set aside the report on the Archangel's latest predicted whereabouts -the Red Sea, if the annihilation of the Waltfield team meant anything- and scanned the rather short document she'd received from Lord Azreal. It gave a vague idea of where each of her team-mates would go, after the official disbandment of the CHO unit.

'_Gregory remains here to assist. Jay and Sol go to Panama, Jay as a medic for the expected attack on Panama, and Sol for a 'special project.' Probably the __GAT-01 project.'_ Diana wasn't meant to know about the attempts to re-produce the prototype, but she somehow still managed it. Friends in high places and all that - no-one could keep things secret from the prying side of the Panther for very long. _Adrian, Meagan and I go to Alaska, and from there, Adrian is sent to California to become an _Instructor_ of all things, whilst Meagan remains and I'm sent _somewhere_. Why the hell doesn't he say where?'_

With a frustrated sigh, she pushed aside the document, reaching for the last bundle of papers on her desk. This was the most interesting piece by far, consisting of any and all information she'd been able to get on Chris.

She skimmed the basics - name, blood type, hair and eye colour, she already knew all of that. Instead, she skipped to the things she didn't know. His age startled her, her estimation of 17 had been out by a couple of years. Chris certainly wasn't a kid, even if he did look it.

His Academy records impressed her. He'd only just missed the cut for the elite red, and the simulations he'd run through afterwards showed an aptitude for space combat, and his atmospheric skills weren't too bad.

It was when she entered the more personal records, the ones that consisted of information on his family, that she felt a brief wave of guilt.

"Timothy Loyal, age 41, deceased. Cause of death: Junius 7 nuclear attack. Samantha Loyal, age 43, deceased. Cause of death: Suicide. Liam Loyal, age 20, KIA. Cause of death…" she faltered, losing her voice for a moment. "Cause of death: One Lieutenant Maywood, the Hound of the EA." The report fell from her shaking hands, and she stared absently at the wall.

"Damn Loyal, no wonder you hate us so much. We've taken everything from you…" Her gaze fell down to the last name on the report, and she smiled weakly.

"Nina Loyal, age 23, civilian. Occupation: Day-care worker."

'_Maybe not everything…'_

* * *

Meagan felt tears pricking her eyes as she stared at her most treasured possession, a picture of her parents, taken during better times. Next to the picture lay her handgun, and slowly, a plan began to form. 

What right did that space monster have, to be alive in the same _building_ as her, let alone on the same planet? None. Blue Cosmos was right, coordinators were unnatural. They shouldn't exist. Nobody would complain if one went 'missing'.

The unit was funded by the fanatical organization, weren't they? She'd be praised for removing an enemy of humanity. Smiling cruelly, she picked up the picture, gently kissed it, and returned it to the desk.

Calmly, quietly, she went about putting her plan into action.

* * *

A shiver ran down Diana's spine. Something wasn't right. Worried, she slipped out of her room, following her instinct towards Christopher's 'cell'.

* * *

Author's Note: The CHO unit finally arrives at their destination, and Meagan is planning something  
thanks to my two wonderful reviewers: 00Idiot and Knives91! Hope you both enjoyed this chapter! The next chapter may take longer to get out - It doesn't want to co-operate. Anyway, for now, please let me know what you though of this chapter. - Darkness 


	5. Chapter 5

I own nothing except Diana Stein and her unit.

'Birds of a Feather' and all associated characters, machines and events belong to Solid Shark.

* * *

Christopher sat poised on the chair, looking very much like a cornered mouse. He felt much like one too, as he blinked at the weary Captain. As he watched her rake her hands through her hair, making it even more dishevelled then it already was, he wondered who she'd learnt the habit from - It certainly wasn't Sol. He didn't seem as if he could be troubled by anything.

A pang of regret pierced his heart as he thought of his own sister. She'd told him not to join ZAFT. Maybe he should have listened. Nina was probably worried sick. God, he hoped she was coping. He returned his attention to the pacing Captain when she sighed, her fingers yet again trailing through her hair.

He thought about the circumstances that had led him to be perched on a chair in Captain Diana Stein's personal quarters.

_Chris had been dozing in his cell. It was not until a dark shadow fell over him that he realized someone had entered. Only extremely fast reflexes saved him from getting shot._

"_What the?!" he yelped, skittering away from the girl who held a gun directed at him. The barrel was trembling, as was the hand that held it, and the girl was shouting angrily. Vaguely he recognised the young woman as Ensign Taylor. _

"_You bastard! You're no better then the others! Why are you still alive?! Why, when they're dead! Why is something as unnatural as you allowed to live, when they're dead?! You don't deserve to be here! You've no right to exist!" _

_Chris was frozen, trapped like a deer in headlights, remembering a time not long after the Junius 7 tragedy when he had voiced similar sentiments. The gun barked again, and he would have been dead, had someone not rammed Meagan, throwing off her aim. As it was, he felt his collarbone snap as a bullet slammed into it. _

"_Ensign Taylor, you will stand down!" The voice was strong and commanding, and rather familiar. Diana's commanding presence had the desired effect on the gun-wielding teen, and the young woman broke down sobbing as the rest of the unit arrived on the scene._

Diana watched the 19 year old pilot with mild amusement. He held himself stiffly – understandable, given that he'd just been shot. Absently she rubbed her own arm, now free of its sling. All members of the CHO project had extremely fast rates of healing, thanks to the various drugs they took. Admittedly, she ought to still have been using the sling, but she found it too troublesome, and she didn't need it.

Settling herself at her desk, she rummaged through the files until she found the one on Chris. She slid it across the desk, aware of the ZAFT pilot's keen gaze. "You have a sister. I notice that, whilst you mentioned your brother, you didn't say anything about Nina."

Christopher blinked owlishly, taking the report and flicking through it. He was rather surprised that it was so detailed – he didn't think the EA bothered with Rookies until they became well known within ZAFT. "She's a civilian. There was no reason to mention her, Ma'am." He was beginning to wonder if Diana had finally decided to get around to interrogating him. If so, it seemed an unusual way to start.

Diana smiled. "I bet you'll be getting the talk when you next see her. I suggest you ask for some leave, once you get back to the PLANTS." The look she received from Chris made her smile widen further. "Please read over this report for me, will you? I'd like your opinion on some things." Startled, Chris took the offered papers, and skimmed over it.

He tried to think of a polite way to tell Captain Stein that she was nuts. "Ah, Ma'am? This… what exactly is this?" It seemed to be a report concerning the escape of the CHO unit's prisoner, but given that he was sitting right there, it made absolutely no sense.

It wasn't Diana who answered. Rather, it was Sol who, along with Adrian and Jay, had decided that they'd given their Captain enough time to thoroughly confuse the ZAFT pilot. "It's the report Diana will hand over to our superiors, in exactly five days time." His eyes met Diana's. "You haven't given yourself much time to organise this, sis."

Chris was given the distinct impression that this topic had already been discussed in length – Which, like the report, made little sense. It had only been an hour or two since Ensign Taylor had tried to kill him. Adrian gave him a sympathetic smile, as if he understood Chris' confusion. He probably did, after having served under Diana for the past 6 months.

Diana stood, lightly resting her hands on her desk as she leant forward to glare at her brother. "I made an error in judgement when I decided to take Loyal as our prisoner. I do not regret that I shot him down. I do not regret that we brought him with us. I _do_ regret that I was mistaken concerning Meagan's mental stability when it comes to Co-ordinators. I intend to rectify that error." She glanced at the subject of this argument, a tiny smile on her face.

"We've already discussed this. I can come up with the necessary plans to 'soften' Victoria. The rest of the unit will be in attendance. I have 'other things' that I need to be doing at the time, and as it's 'classified', Carleton does not need to know what exactly it is that I'm doing. I can get Loyal out of here without drawing attention to myself."

Jay raised his hand, and Diana's ranting halted. "What?"

Jay smiled sheepishly. "Whilst I'm happy to participate, and help keep our little Blue Cosmos supporter from learning about this, I'd appreciate knowing _why_ we're risking our asses here, other then because you're decision is the reason Loyal almost ended up dead tonight."

Diana gave a thoughtful nod. It was a question she was willing to answer, partially. Her gaze drifted over to Christopher as she replied. "Loyal has a sister. Knowing this, I cannot keep him here. If it were Sol who was in Christopher's position, I'd be worried sick. If I were still a civilian, I'd probably do something stupid, like join my nation's military. The Loyal family has already suffered enough, because of the Earth Alliance's actions in this war."

Jay nodded in understanding. He did have some understanding of the way Diana's mind worked. It was enough to allow him to fill in the gaps. He also noticed that Diana seemed to have a personal reason, and the question in his eyes was answered with the smallest of nods. Diana had inflicted at least one of those losses. This was her way of repenting, even if no-one else ever knew.

Adrian interrupted, shooting Christopher a look as the ZAFT pilot attempted to say something. Evidently, the unit wasn't going to let him argue, at least not until they'd finished hashing out their plans. "So, you plan to have a diversionary attack on Victoria, whilst you assist Loyal in returning to ZAFT territory. This will require at least two days, possibly more, as even using the persona of Panther, you will have to be wary of ZAFT forces. In order to make this more realistic, you're sending the rest of the unit to assist with this attack on Victoria, and as such will have no back up." Adrian paused, and shattered the rumours that he was just a very well programmed robot by actually expressing emotion.

"Captain Stein, you're nuts!" Even Christopher gave him a strange look at the outburst. Adrian seemed not to notice. "Respectfully, Captain, going into ZAFT territory, without any back up, is plain suicidal."

Christopher finally had a chance to intervene, and surprised all of them, including himself, with his words. "Captain Stein will have back up." He stood, walking around the desk to stand beside Diana. "If you're all willing to risk this, the least I can do is assist Captain Stein." He turned to the woman, lowering his gaze. "That's if you're willing to accept my help, Ma'am."

Diana considered, and settled the matter quickly. "That's Panther, brat, and you'll do well to remember it. Captain Stein is away on classified business, as of 0600 hours tomorrow."

* * *

Sol was troubled. Oh, he'd never admit it to anyone, but he wasn't too happy with Diana's plan. He couldn't help but feel as if she hadn't told the whole truth – and he was the only one who knew about Liam Loyal! No, there was more to this then what Diana had admitted, even to him. Not that it mattered; Loyal and his sister had left just as dawn broke.

Wherever they were now, they were on their own. Now all that was left was delivering the attack plans that Diana had sketched out for use against Victoria, and the hastily written report that explained the best CHO personnel for each area of the battle plan, should Captain Carleton decide that he wanted them to participate in the upcoming operation. After that, all they could really do was sit back and wait.

"Lieutenant Stein? Captain Carleton will see you now." Sol nodded to the secretary, passing the shy woman with a faint smile. Jay had told him that the few women on base had all developed crushes on him, and Adrian. Both males found it amusing, and had gently turned down any advance made by the women. Carleton's secretary was the only woman who had yet to try anything, and he was surprisingly thankful for it.

"So, Stein finished those plans before she took off this morning?" growled the lanky captain the moment Sol stepped into the office. Despite his inner dislike, he managed to salute Carleton, although with less enthusiasm then he managed for his sister. Carleton was one of those who had reached his rank through connections, rather then skill.

"She did indeed. She also left standing orders that, with the exception of Ensign Taylor, we are to assist you with the upcoming operation." Sol handed over the folder containing the plans, almost dropping them in his haste to avoid contact with the slimy git behind the desk.

"Very well Lieutenant. I suppose you can't tell me why Ensign Taylor is not under those orders, or where your precious captain has gone?" He sneered, "Of course not – It's confidential. Dismissed Lieutenant. Inform Ensign Smith that I wish to speak with him immediately."

Sol reluctantly saluted again, turning on his heel and waiting impatiently until he was out of hearing range before he began cursing the inept captain. He hadn't finished his tirade by the time he reached the barracks, and earned himself a disapproving look from Adrian, who had been waiting for his return.

"Meagan wants to speak with Diana. We've been stalling her by telling her Diana's busy with planning, but she's starting to get suspicious."

Sol sighed. Sometimes he hated it when Diana left him in charge. Dealing with Meagan was unpleasant at the best of times for the males of the unit. "Tell her that Diana's away on business; a mission that's classified, and even we don't know what exactly she's doing." He glanced up at the sky and sighed. "Any idea where Gregory is? Carleton wants to speak with him."

Adrian blinked, the only sign that he was startled by Carleton's request, before returning to its usual stony expression. "He said something about 'teaching these rookies about explosions', and left about half an hour after you did. I believe he's probably with the base's demolitions team."

Behind him, Jay appeared and corrected the statement. "Greg got back five minutes ago. He retreated to his quarters."

"Thanks Jay." Sol sounded rather relieved. He was. The idea of having to chase down Gregory had not been a pleasing one.

* * *

Chris watched Diana as she guided the jeep over the rough road, musing silently at the change that had gripped her; marvelling at how something as simple as a wardrobe change could have such a large effect on someone's personality. No longer in the CHO unit uniform, she was wearing a fluffy pink jacket, worn jeans, a halter-neck top and a pair of scruffy sneakers. Hardly the type of clothes he'd have ever considered her in.

She also seemed more carefree and open, but when he'd attempted to test_that_ theory earlier, he had found that she was as closed as ever, despite appearances. Still, she wasn't as stubborn as usual, and seemed happy to talk, so long as they avoided the war and her own past. It was fine by him, as talking about Nina was rather enjoyable.

So far, the antics of the children whom his sister cared for had managed to startle a few laughs out of the older woman. Now, he was considering resting his eyes, and pondering the quiet exchange between the Stein siblings that he had accidentally overheard that morning.

_Having been given freedom of movement within the CHO barracks, so long as he avoided Ensign Taylor's quarters, he had chosen to watch Diana as she moved through a variety of training exercises. After she had completed the more basic ones, she had moved on to something that he hadn't really understood. _

_The movements had been fluid and graceful, and the way her hands had been curled suggested that something was usually used in this exercise that was currently missing. Even with the unknown implement lacking, it had still been rather beautiful, and the Captain had been too wrapped up in her training to notice she had an observer. _

_Likewise, Sol didn't notice Christopher as he entered, heading straight towards his sister. "Still favour those old fan dances, huh? When are you going to give them up?" _

_Diana had smiled sadly. "Only when I've lost any claim to honour, Darren." _

_The reply had caused Sol to let out a hiss of breath, before he shook his head and returned the smile. "Never then. You'll always be able to claim some honour out of your actions, Leah." He'd turned away, heading back out. "Now your decision with Loyal makes a little more sense. Honour is what your heart tells you is right."_

"_Whenever you doubt, listen to your heart." Diana finished quietly._

He was fairly certain that the names they had used were their actually names, confirming his belief that the CHO unit used identities that they hadn't been born with. However, the exchange had left him with more questions then answers. He looked across, catching Diana watching him out of the corner of her eye.

"What?"

The older soldier chuckled. "You're rather deep in thought, that's all. What were you thinking about?"

"I… I overheard you and Sol talking in the gym this morning." There, he'd said it. Now he didn't feel quite as bad about it as he had. The quiet that followed almost made his worry a lot worse.

"I see… You're intelligent Loyal. I'm sure you already knew that the identities we use are nothing more then alter egos. We just confirmed it for you." She spared him a glance, before her gaze returned to the land around them. The day had passed quicker then either of them had expected, and she desired a nice, safe place to hole up for the night.

"The CHO project is funded by Blue Cosmos. Changing our names was to protect our previous achievements or something like that." Her keen gaze found a nice group of rocks, and she turned their vehicle off the road. "Help me set up camp for the night, and maybe I'll tell you a little about it. It won't matter much, given that the unit's being disbanded soon enough anyway, and I've no doubt that ZAFT already knows at least a small portion of what I'm going to tell you."

Having helped set up camp, Christopher now 'guarded' their dinner, watching Diana circle around the campsite, reminding him of a cat making itself comfortable before it lay down. Of course, the EA Captain was a lot more dangerous then a domesticated feline, but he was starting to wonder if her cat-like actions were the reason she had earned the nickname Panther.

"Uh, Captain? You said you'd tell me a little more about your unit…" He hesitated before continuing his line of thought. "You said your unit is funded by Blue Cosmos, but only Ensign Taylor showed any semblance of believing their doctrines…"

Diana stopped her prowling, coming to sit beside Chris as he poked their dinner – tinned soup that they hoped to heat enough that they could at least stomach it.

"Ensign Taylor is a unique case. Even after the initial events that led her to join the unit, she's never had the discipline to look past what she lost, and do her duty." She glanced up at the sky. "Partially my own fault - I should have spent more time training her."

Returning her gaze to their fire, she sighed. "We all had our own reason for volunteering for CHO. For Meagan, it was the loss of her entire family due to the riots that the neutron jammers caused that pushed her towards the Project."

Chris retrieved their soup from the fire as it boiled, separating it equally into two mugs before handing one to Diana. "Captain, what exactly _is_ CHO?"

Diana took a cautious sip of her soup before replying. "I'm sure I've told you not to call me by rank. It's Panther, if you can't manage Diana. CHO stands for Combat-Heightened Operatives. In other words, we're Blue Cosmos' attempt to combat the fact Coordinators are so much more skilled then Naturals."

"How?"

Diana smiled. "Inquisitive little brat, aren't you? There are various performance enhancing drugs on the market – we take a rather large variety of them, and combined with extensive training, we're meant to be able to match any coordinators in our chosen fields. In case you're wondering, I'm the hand to hand combat specialist of the unit."

She took a quick gulp of her soup before continuing. "Jay is the medical expert, Gregory our demolitions professional, Megan our technician, Adrian our marksman and Sol is our main pilot. We're all good in our own rights, but the drugs make us better."

"But they have drawbacks." Christopher mused, amber eyes studying the older woman as she gazed into the fire. "You're bodies begin to crave them… And that leads to the withdrawals, like the one you experienced on the island."

Diana nodded. "Yes. Admittedly, I've been with the program longer then anyone else, so withdrawals happen faster for me. I also test any new enhancers before I let them near my team. It has its downsides, just like everything else."

Chris thought about that for some time. Diana had a point. Everything, even just being a civilian, had a downside. To her, the drugs were a necessary risk, and she took that risk before she would allow the rest of her unit to do the same. "So, what made you join the CHO Project?"

"I wanted vengeance," the woman admitted, closing her eyes. "I thought Sol was dead, and I wanted to be able to 'inform' ZAFT of my displeasure. Blue Cosmos knew Sol was alive, but they chose not to tell me until they were sure that my belief in duty would keep me in the project. When I found out he was alive… I wanted to leave, but my own beliefs had already bound me to this course."

"And now?" Chris prodded. He'd already gotten a lot of information, but Diana seemed to be in a giving mood. He wasn't sure why, but he knew he couldn't pass up the opportunity to learn about one of ZAFT's greatest enemies.

"Now?" Diana mused, "Now I'm doing something that goes against my duty to the EA, but feels better then any other option. And it'll piss Azrael off."

"Why do you want to annoy him? Isn't he the guy who keeps you payed?"

Diana chuckled. "Trust me brat, you don't want to know. Now finish your dinner and get some sleep. We're leaving early in the morning. Or have you forgotten that I'm on a time limit?"

Christopher grumbled softly, but complied. As he drifted off to sleep, he could have sworn he heard Diana humming a hauntingly familiar tune.

* * *

Even after a week, Christopher was still surprised that his superiors had accepted the explanation that he had given concerning his experiences since the battle that had wiped out his team. It brought to mind Commander DiFalco's Lesson 10 – the more complex the plan, the greater the chance of failure. Evidently, as Captain Stein had suggested, it carried over to lies to superiors as well.

In fact, Diana had given him a lot of advice, in the couple of days it had taken them to get close to Banadiya (why she had insisted on Banadiya, he didn't know). He'd originally thought it was because she wanted to keep his mind off the CHO Project, but by the time they'd parted ways, he'd decided that wasn't the case.

It had almost been as if she actually wanted to help him improve. Admittedly that ought not have been surprising, but given the circumstances… They were enemies, after all.

"There's no point trying to figure her out." He told himself as he straightened his uniform and gathered the belongings he had received once his story had been confirmed – at least the bit about having been shot down by the Alliance anyway. The rest couldn't be confirmed, unless they got their hands on the report Diana had pre-written, and by then, he'd be back in the PLANTs anyway.

"She probably did it just so I'd get confused thinking about how she confuses me." He continued, earning some looks from his fellow soldiers as he made it into the busier section of Gibraltar. A small number of people seemed to be departing, and he was grateful for it. Since being allowed to return to duty, he'd discovered that large crowds annoyed him.

At least the shuttle wouldn't be overly crowded.

* * *

Humming to herself, Ensign Meagan Taylor returned her attention to the supposedly dead engines of the F7-D Spearhead that had been placed in her care. Despite the disaster that had occurred two days ago, and the death of a team-mate (not to mention the rest of the soldiers who'd been sent to Victoria), she was rather cheerful.

Perhaps it was because she finally had a chance to work with a machine, even if it was only an old Spearhead. Or perhaps it was the fact that her Captain had finally returned, and after hearing what had happened, had taken her aside and told her the truth about her excursion into ZAFT territory.

Not just the fact she'd taken Christopher herself, but the actual reason _why_ she'd gone. Meagan shook her head. She still couldn't believe it. Her Captain, a childhood friend of one of ZAFT's Grey Demons, _and_ the Desert Tiger's protégée?

_Meagan looked up to see her tired, worn-out Captain. That in itself was surprising, given that she'd been away for the past week. Whatever her business had been, it had taken longer then anyone expected, including Diana herself. _

_She watched as Diana studied each of them, and wasn't surprised when the older woman dropped into a chair, and made her demand. "What the hell went wrong?" _

_Sol glanced at her, before dropping his gaze. "Nothing went wrong. Carleton decided he didn't like your plan, and tried for a frontal assault." _

_Jay continued quietly. "He put Ensign Smith in charge. Nobody came back." _

_A sharp intake of breath and the clouded look in Diana's eyes told them all that their Captain blamed herself. Despite still being annoyed with Diana (she had been informed of where Diana had gone, eventually), Meagan couldn't stand to see that look in her eyes. _

"_It wasn't your fault, Captain." Diana turned her attention to the Ensign, and Meagan fidgeted under that sad gaze. _

Diana had wordlessly grabbed Meagan's arm, guiding the Ensign into her quarters, and explained why she'd done what she had – and why she blamed herself.

"_I scolded you for letting you__r emotions get the better of you Megs, yet I did the same thing. The moment I had the opportunity, I went out to get answers that aren't even relevant to our current mission." _

_Meagan tried to intervene, but Diana held up her hand, and as all members of the CHO unit had been trained, she could not open her mouth until Diana lowered that blasted hand. _

"_Letting Loyal go was acceptable, but I didn't have to go to Banadiya. I didn't have to stay there until I found out that Martin DaCosta was still alive. If I'd just dumped Loyal at the border and came back immediately…" _

_The hand had lowered, and Meagan glared at her Captain. It was time for a reality check. _'Aren't I usually the one receiving these? I don't usually have to give them.'_ She mused. _

"_Captain…" That wasn't right. She wasn't talking to her superior; she was talking to her friend and mentor. "Diana, you couldn't have done anything, even if you'd gotten back. Maybe you could have pulled rank on Gregory – but he wanted to go! Besides…" _

"_You've already lost one friend in this war, right? Talia Coriolis was one of your best friends." She was still coming to terms with that herself. "It's understandable that you wanted to confirm the claims that the Waltfeld team had been wiped out. No-one is going to blame you for that!" She scowled at her friend. _

"_You did what you had to do!"_

"Mind if I interrupt?" Meagan jumped, banging her head against the wing of the fighter jet, and turned to grin at Diana.

"Not at all." The young Ensign studied her Captain. "You're not so moody now. You got told off by Sol, right?"

Diana chuckled. "Yes, but he'll pay for it in training. We both know this, yet he still does it. I should just pull rank on him…"

Meagan rolled her eyes. "And speaking of training, that's why you're here, isn't it? Because we have an odd number now…"

Shaking her head, Diana motioned for Meagan to join her. Wiping her hands as clean of engine grease as she could, the two women found themselves heading towards the gym. "That isn't actually why I wanted to talk to you. There are two reasons I dragged you away from what you were doing."

Meagan waited patiently for Diana to continue. When she didn't, the Ensign nudged her Captain, receiving a gentle push in return. "Reasons…?" she prompted, and was answered with a sigh.

"We'll all be parting ways in a week or so… I wanted to ask you to please, be careful. In battle, you don't think straight. You get caught in the moment, and that's going to get you killed. Sol and I won't be around to keep an eye on you."

Meagan almost snarled about the suggestion that she needed looking after, but one glance at her Captain stopped her. Diana was really, truly worried about her. That expression reminded her so much of her mother that she couldn't bare to yell at Diana for doubting her skills, as she usually would.

Instead, upon entering the training room, she pounced on Diana, knocking them both to the floor, and hugging her tightly. "I'll keep out of trouble, I promise. But you have to do the same. You're not much better, when something you care about is being threatened."

She met Diana's startled eyes, and gave a shaky grin. "Promise… Mum?"

That got the attention of not only Diana, but also the attention of the three males who had been sparring together. There was only 6 years between Meagan and Diana, but Jay had long suspected the Ensign viewed the older woman as a replacement parental figure. It was still amazing to have Meagan reveal it so openly though.

Diana smiled. "I promise Megs." She ruffled the girl's short hair, and then grinned. "Can I get up now?"

Meagan blushed furiously, scrambling off Diana and attempting to make herself seem dignified. It didn't work. Only Adrian had the ability to be completely unruffled after doing something like that. Not that he ever would. "What was the other reason you came hunting for me?"

Diana smiled, retrieving something from within the folds of her uniform. "This." She held out a wrapped box. It didn't stay wrapped for long. In Meagan's hands rested a framed picture – and a beautiful gold bracelet. She blinked up at Diana and Sol, who had come to join his sister.

"Consider it a really late birthday present. You weren't with the unit when you turned 18, and there won't be a CHO unit by the time you turn 19, so…" Sol trailed of, rubbing his neck sheepishly. His sister was better at this kind of stuff then he was. This time, he found himself on the ground alongside his sister and Meagan tackled the two to the ground and hugged them.

"Can't… breathe!" teased Sol, and Meagan pulled away, studying the bracelet. It had a delicate little fox charm, and she cast a questioning look towards Diana. Surprisingly it was Adrian who answered.

"A fox because of how sly and mischievous they're meant to be."

"You certainly fit the description." Jay added, joining the group on the ground.

Diana continued the explanation. "Everyone in the unit has celebrated at least one birthday as a part of the unit. A joint present is customary. But because you're born in May, we haven't had a chance to celebrate yours."

"So tomorrow, we'll be having a party, no matter what. But we wanted to give you the present today." Sol finished.

Meagan stared down at the photo, a picture of the whole unit, taken not long after she'd become a member of the CHO Project. It had always been a worry of hers that the rest of the group didn't believe she truly belonged, because of her age, and because of her formerly strong belief in Blue Cosmos' ideology (she had recently begun to question her belief in their doctrines). They had known that, and this was their answer.

"Thank you…"

The beaming smile and the slightly watery eyes would never be mentioned, but it spoke volumes.

'_Mum, dad… I found a place to belong, just like you told me to'_

* * *

Author's note: I'm so, so sorry this took so long to get written! This chapter has been re-written so many times. I'm sorry that it's been such a long wait for such a slow chapter, but I feel that there is information here that is necessary for the continuation of the story. Thanks once again to Knives91 for reviewing!

Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long. Until then, please let me know what you think of this chapter. - Darkness


	6. Chapter 6

I own nothing except Diana Stein and her unit.

'Birds of a Feather' and all associated characters, machines and events belong to Solid Shark

* * *

Meagan fiddled absently with the bracelet she had received two days ago, thinking about the previous day as she finished packing her personal items. As promised, the unit had held a party for her. It had been wonderful, and none of them had wanted it to end. But it had. Just as her time as a member of the CHO unit had officially ended at midnight. 

No longer did any member of her old unit wear the blue and brown uniforms – they'd all received the usual white. Tugging on her new uniform, Meagan wasn't too pleased with the all white outfit. The worst change was the loss of her old flight suit. The brown and gray she'd worn with the unit had been replaced with the typical pilot suit of the Earth Alliance. It seemed she wasn't considered enough of an ace to keep the custom coloured flight suit.

She was almost jealous of Sol and Diana. The siblings had quietly (and after much prodding) admitted that they were keeping their pilot suits. Sol had been happy enough about it, but Diana didn't seem too pleased. When Meagan had pursued the subject further, she had learnt that it was due to how distinctive the black suit was. Diana would rather blend in with other pilots, not stand out. Being noticed was more Sol's thing.

It had left Meagan wondering who Diana and Sol had been before the CHO Project had begun. It was evident that they were twins, and she was sure there couldn't have been that many twins in the Atlantic Federation military, let alone twins that happened to be pilots. In fact, she'd been so curious, she'd tried to look it up – but she hadn't had any luck. Now she was going for plan B. Hopefully Diana and Sol would willingly tell her who they had been.

Of course, that would have to wait until she was ready to go. She still had a few hours before her transport left, but – she glanced around the room – there was packing to do first.

* * *

"_We'll see each other again Leah. This won't last long. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to visit _you_ this time!"_

_Leah smiled at her young friend. Despite the age gap between herself and Talia, the two got along quite well. "You're right," she told the red-head, "Just look after yourself 'till then, okay?" _

"_Sure thing Leah! Just you wait; we'll have so much fun when we see each other next!"_

Diana's hand tightened around the frame that held the photo they'd had taken just before her last visit to the PLANTs had ended. The next time she'd 'met' her best friend had been on the battlefield, and only Diana had realized it.

"_Get away from him!" She'd known the Gray Demons watched out for one another on the battlefield, but this was ridiculous – the ZAFT pilot had two other moebiuses on its tail already – it shouldn't be chasing_her

'Scratch that,_' she thought bitterly, '_Make that one on their tail…_' She watched as the second exploded. '_Or we could just go with none._' She whipped her own machine around in a sharp turn, pulling away from the damaged GINN that she had been about to finish with great reluctance. It had taken 6 people to bring the blasted thing down, and she did not appreciate being chased away from her kill. _

_As a burst of machine gun fire ripped past her machine, Leah decided it didn't matter if she'd been chased away from her kill, so long as she managed to stay alive long enough to get back to her ship. Listening to the radio chatter, she felt herself freeze as her previous opponent reassured her current one. _

"I'm fine Talia, just finish off the Hound for me, will you? He's more trouble then he's worth._" The damaged GINN withdrew – he knew he was out of the fight. The attempts of her pursuer doubled, but that was the least of her worries. _

"_Talia…" she whispered to herself. "Why? Why does it have to be this way?" _

To her knowledge, Talia had never discovered that it was her best friend that she'd been fighting. Diana was thankful for that. Explaining to one of her best friends exactly _why_ she'd ended up in OMNI wasn't something she wanted to do. But… She'd never get the chance to speak with Talia again. After all, it was impossible to speak with the dead, unless you bought into that kind of thing, and she most certainly didn't. Considering the number of close calls she'd had, Diana was firm in her belief that there was only one life, and she was living it.

A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts, and she quickly zipped her bag up. "Are you going to sulk in there until you leave, or are you going to come out and say goodbye to everyone before they go?"

"I do _not_ sulk, Sol. I'll be out in a sec."

"What, you have to fix your hair or something?" her brother teased as he waited.

"Actually, yes."

Sol blinked, and then rolled his eyes. "Typical!"

The smirk he received as she left her quarters sent a chill down his spine. Suddenly, he was rather glad that they weren't going to be on the same transport, or even the same base.

"So, am I holding everyone up?"

Sol shook his head. "Hardly. Meagan and Jay are just so nervous, they don't know what to do with themselves. Even Adrian's jittery – that certainly isn't helping the others."

"And you? How are you coping?"

"The same as you. I'm trying not to think about it." Sol tugged on the collar of his uniform. "It's been a long time since I've worn the white…"

Diana nodded in agreement. "The conventional forces again… This'll be a disaster."

Sol stopped, and turned to look back at her. "Not this time. You'll be the one in charge – unless you get stuck on something with a higher-ranking officer." He barely had time to duck as his sister tried to hit him over the head.

"Idiot, you've jinxed me now!"

The two were still smiling when they joined the rest of their -former- unit. It had an instantaneous effect on the glum expressions of the others, lifting their spirits just a little.

Adrian, Jay and Meagan all stood, saluting their commanding officer and her XO. "May I be the first to say that it was an honor working with you all." Adrian got straight to the point, and earned himself a few chuckles. "I hope we all meet again sometime."

"Likewise." Sol informed him, holding out his hand. Jay was the first to shake it, with Meagan and Adrian following soon after. For Diana, a handshake wasn't enough, and she found herself enveloped in hugs before the group withdrew.

"I suppose I'm meant to give some kind of encouraging speech, but I'm not so good at those. Sol, you wanna try?" Her brother shook his head.

"You kidding me? I'll have everyone running away in fear!" Even Adrian managed to crack a smile, and Diana sighed, although her eyes and the way her lips twitched gave away the fact that she too was amused by her brother's antics.

"Alright then… None of us are happy about this. I'll admit I'm down right pissed off about the decision that's been made. However, as soldiers it's our duty to obey our orders." She met the eyes of each member of the group. "Despite the disbandment of the CHO Project, we are still a unit, still good friends. I hope you'll all remember that."

She stood straighter; pulling off the neatest salute any of them had seen their Captain give. "Look after yourselves, and try not to get killed. May we all meet again in more peaceful times!"

* * *

Two weeks. Two very long weeks, and still she was stuck here, listening to Carleton's annoying prattle. His attempts to blame the younger Captain for the disaster at Victoria had so far met with calm rebuttals, but her formidable temper was near its limit. If her transport didn't arrive in the next few days, the temporary base was going to be short one commanding officer. 

Diana sighed, raising her handgun. As she usually did when angered, she'd commandeered the shooting range, and was taking her emotions out on the innocent targets – It was better than shooting a fellow officer, even if said officer was Carleton.

"Still determined to waste bullets rather than people, hmm?"

Diana spun to face the speaker, lowering the firearm once she realized who had interrupted her. "Admiral Ronald. This is a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here?"

Stuart Ronald studied the young woman. As calm and collected as she usually was, there was also worry, anger and sorrow in her keen gaze. "I could ask you the same thing. I thought you were going to fight the orders to disband your team, Diana."

Diana set aside her borrowed handgun before answering the old soldier. "I did try Admiral. Let's just leave it at that. You'll probably find you'll want plausible deniability concerning it sometime in the future." That was the closest she'd come to explaining what had happened, and she knew that the Admiral understood the implications. That would have to be enough, for both of them.

"You didn't answer my question either. Why are you here?"

Stuart sighed, and beckoned her to follow. This she did willingly, although with some concern. The Admiral was normally more upfront about things. "Like a lot of soldiers, I'm being sent to Panama to assist with its defense." He informed her quietly as they walked.

"That's right…" Diana murmured, "I'd heard about that. Sol and Jay were assigned there to assist as well."

Stuart smiled. "Indeed. I'll do my best to keep an eye on them. Anyone of yours tends to get into all kinds of mischief when you're not around."

Diana chuckled. "Kindly don't remind me. Ensign Taylor often accused me of mothering the unit – and in the next breath she'd claim I was torturing them." Her good humor vanished, as the moodiness she'd experienced since Sol and Jay's departure a week ago set in once more.

Watching her, Stuart was reminded that, despite having a brilliant mind and an unbelievable combat record, Diana was still young. It was disturbing how easy it was to forget that Diana was only 23. Often, she acted far older.

"Captain, did you hear about the attack on the _Marat_?" Diana froze. The _Marat_ was the ship Meagan and Adrian had left on. A strong sense of foreboding overcame her.

"No, I hadn't. What happened?" _'Please don't let it be what I think it is.'_ She waited with apprehension as the Admiral sighed.

"She was heavily damaged during a battle with ZAFT forces. By the time reinforcements arrived, she'd already lost several pilots." He paused briefly. "Diana, it's believed Meagan was one of those casualties."

Diana closed her eyes, surprising the Admiral. She shuddered visibly, attempting to reign in her wayward emotions. "I see…" she whispered softly. "Thank you for informing me, Admiral. When do we leave? I assume that is the official reason you sought me out, is it not?"

The Admiral was more than slightly worried by the woman's supposed lack of interest in the presumed death of her former subordinate, but he nodded his acknowledgement. "We leave at 0800 tomorrow."

"Thank you Sir. If you'll excuse me?" The Admiral nodded, watching her go. He pitied whoever got in her way right now, for as she'd turned away, he'd caught a glimpse of what she had been struggling to hide – Tears. Diana felt much more then she was willing to admit.

And she wasn't willing to admit much without her brother to support her.

"That girl is going to break one day."

"No, she's stronger than that. She won't break, but she will get her vengeance against whoever's wronged her, and I'll be happy to help. And what will you do Admiral, when that young woman realizes who she is? Will you help her, or will you be a hindrance?" Stuart smiled at his new companion as she slipped out of the building's shadows. Captain Danielle Taystron somehow managed to blend into the environment, despite the white uniform she wore.

"I'd hope I had the guts to help her, or the sense to get out of her way."

Danielle chuckled warmly. "Your nephew said exactly the same thing, when I asked him. He also asked if I thought she'd ever realize who she truly is."

"And?"

"She's two lives to reconcile Admiral. So long as she has people messing with her head the way Azrael does, she'll never be able to come to terms with who she truly is. But give her enough time, and the combined personalities will be far more deadly than either one is alone." Danielle smiled.

"That girl… I've known her since she was a little child, and she's always been far too intelligent for her own good. But it's always been kept in check by her self-doubt. If she gained the confidence she needs… The Grimaldi Falcon himself wouldn't be able to keep up with her. Or perhaps he could – Diana was never a fan of underhanded tactics. She's too straightforward for that."

"Makes you wonder how she ended up as the head of the CHO unit then…" Stuart muttered.

"Yes, yes it does."

* * *

"_How dare-!" _

"_Silence Captain. It's simple, is it not? Your unit is to be disbanded. If you don't wish for your _friends_ to suffer untimely demises, you'll follow orders. Is that clear, _Captain_?" Diana glared at the smirking blonde businessman. She hated Muruta Azrael with a passion. _

_She hated him for having taken an interest in her military career, hated him for his ideals, hated him for manipulating her into this Project, hated him for the grief he'd caused when he'd claimed her brother was dead, hated him for everything that he stood for._

_And now she hated him for threatening her people._

'One day someone is going to wipe that smug look off your face Azrael, and I will be there to see it.'_ She thought, her lips drawn in a silent snarl. Men had begged for their lives when faced with that expression, but the Blue Cosmos leader shrugged it off. The woman did not fear death herself – he'd learnt that long ago – but her friends? She'd do anything to protect _them_. So long as he had control of the Earth Alliance, he had control of her. _

"_Very well,_Director_. I'll follow these orders – on one condition." A smirk slipped easily onto her face. "You will not knowingly put them in direct danger." She held up a hand to forestall any arguments. "I know this is a war, and danger is hard to avoid, but you will not sacrifice their lives simply for a diversion, or send them directly into combat without the proper support that any other soldier receives." _

_Azrael thought it over and nodded. "Agreed. I suggest you go inform your unit of their pending disbandment, Captain." The image blinked out, and Diana growled, slamming a fist against the wall. _

_That _bastard!_ Using her unit – her _friends_ – against her in such a manner. It was unforgiveable! One day, he would slip up. One day, she'd no longer be bound by duty. One day…_

Diana snarled, pacing the length of her quarters. She prowled, cursing Azrael in every language she knew. Sadly that wasn't very many, but it made her feel a little better.

After having heard that Meagan had been declared MIA, she'd barricaded herself in her room, so as to avoid harming anyone. She knew only too well how fragile her control was right now, and the effects that losing that control would have. At the very least, Carleton would die. The worst? Not even Admiral Ronald would be spared her wrath if she didn't get a handle on her emotions.

It was a repercussion of the psychological problems she suffered from having more than one persona. It had become obvious after the first two months in the Project. The enhancement drugs didn't help; only her formidable self-control and the discipline she had learnt when studying the martial arts allowed her to avoid killing someone every time she lost her temper.

But that self-control had slipped, as she'd known it would if something happened to Meagan. It would have been alright, had Sol been with her; his calming presence soothed the raging emotions that too often were denied an outlet. Without Sol, she either needed to vent those emotions, or get a strong hold on them before someone got killed.

It had been a ZAFT soldier that had given her the nickname of the White Panther. The only survivor of the first time she'd discovered the raging beast within. She remembered it – barely.

_Supposedly, it was meant to be a simple search and rescue. The team that had been sent in previously had not come out. She and Adrian were meant to go in, assess the situation, and if possible, extract the others. _

_Nothing was ever that simple. Within an hour of separating from the Lieutenant in order to cover more ground, she'd found the missing team. Badly beaten, and with several broken bones, they'd at least been alive. Unfortunately, she'd also found several pissed off Coordinators. And they'd decided to take it out on their prisoners, once they'd gotten a secure hold on the intruder. _

_Watching them, her anger had become almost painful in its intensity, and then… A brown seed had burst, and everything had become very, very clear. It had been as if the world was in slow motion, and the Coordinators didn't stand a chance. Her captor went flying into the distant wall, and as one came at her with a knife, another produced a handgun. _

_The knife-wielding male didn't see her move, but move she did. Sliding easily past the knife and the arm that held it, the woman - if she could be called that – grabbed his arm, yanking him off-balance. The gunman had chosen to start firing, but could only stare in horror as his shots ripped into his comrade. A moment later, he didn't have to worry about anything, for his team-mates knife was imbedded in his neck. The others had done the intelligent thing and fled, but she wasn't going to leave it at that. _

_By the time she'd finished, there wasn't a living soul left in the building. The only survivor had been a young soldier, who, having only just transferred there, and having been able to convince the battle-crazed female of it, had been spared. _

Once she'd regained her senses, she'd been yelled at by Sol. It had turned out that her brother had felt the killing intent radiating from her, even back at their base camp. It was something that he'd never wanted to experience again, yet was fated to witness several more times.

With her brother's assistance, she'd sought to understand what had occurred. The answer they had come to was a rather unconventional one. The SEED Factor. Referred to by some as a berserker state, bearers of the SEED could enter a state of enhanced mental and physical conditions.

Diana had quickly decided to avoid using that ability at all costs, preferring to reach such a state through her own training, not through some freak genetic abnormality. In truth, the damage she could do in that state scared her.

Her current emotions, directed towards various people, could easily cause her to slip into the SEED mode, and from past experience, she knew that if it were to happen, she would not know friend from foe. It would have been much easier if her anger had not had a focus.

This was the reason she had locked herself in her quarters, and why she was struggling to regain her control.

* * *

Lieutenant (Senior Grade) Sol Stein had a headache. It was, by far, the worst headache he'd had in a very long time. The timing of said headache, he knew, could have been far worse. He could have been in battle when it hit, rather than running through some simple tests with his newly assigned GAT-01 Strike Dagger. 

It hadn't even been unexpected. He'd known it was coming, and had been surprised that it hadn't hit sooner. When a glum Jay Ruston entered your quarters, and it was evident that the medical officer had been crying, an intelligent person could figure out that they were about to receive VBN, or 'very bad news'.

Learning that Meagan had been listed as MIA had hit him hard, but not as hard as it would hit Diana, once she found out. That had been yesterday. Since then, he'd been waiting for the killer headache that would accompany Diana's anger. Even with the distance between them, there'd be _something_, he'd known that. He just hadn't realized that the distance wouldn't be enough of a barrier to dull _this_ migraine.

The most worrying thing was that he wasn't there. He couldn't do_anything_ for his sister when he was so far away. With a frustrated sigh, he slammed his locker closed, drawing winces from his fellow pilots.

"What's up, Stein?"

"Headache." He growled out, satisfying their curiosity with the simple statement.

"Must be pretty bad to bother him like that," muttered one to his fellows as Sol stalked away.

Sometime later, the headache suddenly stopped. This troubled him more than the headache itself, as it meant Diana had found an outlet through violence instead of re-establishing her control.

Sometimes he wondered what had happened to the young woman he'd known as a child, and before Endymion. She had been more inclined to have fun, and less likely to take risks. She'd been constantly troubled by self-doubts, but it hadn't impacted severely on her mental state.

After Endymion, she'd become quiet and reserved, although he'd been the only one to notice it – she could fool those who didn't know her, but a family member was a different matter.

And she'd developed a formidable temper, one that she kept in check with her unbelievable self-control. When that control snapped… the problem was terminated. When the loss of control was followed by entering the SEED mode, people died. Not just one or two people either, whole units could be wiped out, even entire bases had fallen victim to the White Panther.

The White Panther was not his sister, that much he had decided. The White Panther existed only when Diana completely lost her temper, and when that happened, the woman was a force of nature, not a human being. Even Diana acknowledged she wasn't herself when she was like that. She'd agreed with his verdict, when he'd eventually told her.

The White Panther was death itself. He couldn't help but wonder who its latest victim was.

* * *

Studying the destruction, one would almost think that an animal had done this._'Perhaps, in a way, one did,'_ mused Danielle, running a finger along a deep slash in the wall. As she'd suspected long ago, Diana was _not_ coping. The two different lives, the drugs, even the training – no human was designed for it, and there was more to Diana then even the young Captain realized. 

Diana was an unknowing participant in another project. Having been a willing subject of the project herself, Danielle knew what was happening. Having come to terms with it herself, she didn't have trouble with the rage that plagued Diana.

"But if one doesn't know what was done to them, they can hardly begin to control it. Azrael, you fool. You wanted to leash the power of nature, only to realize that it can't be done. Now you have a panther in human form, and you don't know what to do with her."

Taking one more look at the trashed room, Danielle scowled, and stalked away. It was time to set her feline on the path to recovery, and the first step on that journey was to tell the younger Captain just exactly what had been done to her those first few weeks after Endymion.

The question was, how much of it would Diana be willing to believe?

* * *

Staring up at the very white ceiling of the base's very white infirmary, Diana decided she was lucky that she hadn't broken more than a couple of fingers. Tearing apart her quarters the day before she left wasn't exactly the greatest plan she could have come up. It was still better than the blood-letting that could have occurred. 

Absently, she listened to Carleton's ranting. In her attempt to regain control, she'd lost it completely, and in the process, had nearly destroyed the building that she had been in. She'd promptly lost consciousness the moment she emerged, her body unable to cope with the loss of adrenaline.

When she'd awoken, she'd been in the infirmary, and Carleton had started in on her for the destruction she'd left behind. A brief flicker of annoyance had been all she felt before she'd zoned out. That alone was enough to make her very, very pleased, as it meant her emotions were under control again.

"Carleton, shut up." Despite her thoughts matching the words, Diana knew that wasn't her voice, and she grinned weakly at Captain Taystron.

"When'd you become a mind reader?"

The older woman rolled her eyes. "Who needs to be a mind reader when it's written all over your face?" Danielle jerked her head towards Carleton, "He's just too full of himself to notice it."

Faced with two amused females, Carleton fled.

Almost immediately, Danielle's expression turned serious. Diana sighed, certain she was about to receive a lecture. She decided to forestall it. "I know I shouldn't have done it, but it was either that or Carleton. I…"

"I know." Danielle interrupted, her voice grim. "We need to talk, Leah."

Diana's eyes widened at the use of her real name. If it was bad enough that her mother's friend, and her childhood mentor had chosen to forgo the usual pretenses…

Oh hell.

Meeting Danielle's eyes, she replied, her tone matching the elder woman's. "I'm not going to like what I hear, am I?"

* * *

Author's note: What does Danielle Taystron know about Diana that our dear Captain doesn't?  
Once again, I apologise for the lateness of this chapter. I do hope it was worth the wait. Thanks once more to Knives91 for reviewing.

There are a couple of figures I wanted to share with you all. As of the completion of this chapter, A Panther's Honour is currently 64 pages long, and has a grand total of 28'801 words. This is the longest story I have ever written. I want to thank all my readers, for their continued interest, and also Solid Shark, for allowing me to play around in his universe.

Whilst you're waiting for the next chapter, check out the Order of the Gray Demons community for more great stories in the BoaF AU. Or you could let me know what you thought of this chapter - Darkness


	7. Chapter 7

I own nothing except Diana Stein and her unit.

'Birds of a Feather' and all associated characters, machines and events belong to Solid Shark.

* * *

"I'm not going to like what I hear, am I?"

Danielle sighed, claiming a portion of the bed. "No, you won't. You probably won't want to believe it either, but it has to be said." The elder Captain focused on a patch of peeling paint on the far wall. Much as this needed to be explained, to help Diana and set her back on the right path, the one she'd been on before Endymion, it was not something that could easily be spoken of, even to this woman who in many ways, was the daughter she'd never had.

"What has to be said?" Diana, despite her worries, was curious. Danielle was being far too quiet; too contemplative. This was nothing like the woman she'd grown up with, nor was it the Instructor she'd assisted during their last assignment at the same base. Danielle answered the question with one of her own.

"How much of what happened after Endymion do you remember?"

'_What does that have to do with anything?'_ Diana wondered. She answered the question anyway. "After I woke up? It's still pretty hazy. I know I was told that Darren was dead, and that if I wanted vengeance…" she trailed off, guilty that she'd ever allowed herself to be mislead as she had.

"But you remember nothing of the three weeks directly after Endymion, correct? And no-one ever told you what was done whilst you were unconscious, right?"

"Danielle…" Diana warned her mentor calmly. "Much as I respect you, if you don't get to the point, I'm not going to be happy."

'_You've always been good at understating things, Leah.'_ Danielle thought with amusement, turning to face Diana. "The CHO project isn't the first experiment you've taken part in Diana. The first was conducted only days after you were recovered from your Moebius after the battle." The look she received urged her to continue, whilst Diana was shocked enough not to question what she was hearing.

"They tampered with your genetics, attempting to combine animals and humans. They wanted to claim the power of nature, but they hadn't had much success – Only one person had survived the process at that time. You seemed the perfect choice, but the project was cancelled before they could complete the modifications."

Danielle fell silent, leaving Diana to think about what she'd just been told. It wasn't as shocking as Danielle seemed to think it ought to be. In fact, it explained a lot of the things that had happened in the past, during the times she lost her temper.

"I'm no geneticist, but… Whatever they did do, they affected something else too." Diana said quietly. "And that's why I lose control when I'm over whelmed with emotion. I lose the ability to tell friend from foe, because I've got animal genes, and they make me…"

"Territorial." Danielle finished for her. "Yes. The SEED mode you usually enter when under pressure –and yes, I do know about it– was affected when they started their modifications. When added to the panther genes that you have… It's a dangerous combination, considering you don't know how to control it."

Danielle studied her young colleague. The young woman was quivering with suppressed emotion, and her gaze was distant as she thought about the lives she'd taken, because of those scientists who wanted something that nature had not intended. Pained eyes meet Danielle's.

"The CHO Project… was bad enough. I volunteered for that. But this? I'm not even human anymore!" Diana fought with the tears that threatened to fall. It was a losing battle, and she found herself in Danielle's strong embrace.

"You are no different today, than you were when we first met." Danielle whispered softly. "You didn't have a say in the matter, and you are who you make yourself, nothing else! If I thought like that, do you think I'd still be here?! Or do you think I just stumbled across this information?"

Diana's head came up, eyes widening with surprise. "You're the surviving experiment?"

Danielle nodded sharply. "I share many similarities with a wolf. Unlike you, I volunteered. I know how you feel, Diana. I've been there myself. It is possible to control the rage, and to keep your mind when you unleash the beast within."

"How?"

"Discipline, practice… I believe you're well versed in these matters already, even if you haven't kept up with your old training."

Both women grinned. "Guess it's a good thing we'll be travelling together for a while then, isn't it Teacher?"

Danielle chuckled, ruffling Diana's hair, or attempting to anyway – the younger woman ducked before she had a chance. Things would be fine. Diana had taken the news far better then she'd expected, although she was sure they'd have many more discussions concerning whether or not Diana was still human.

* * *

Diana leant against the wall of her former quarters. It was interesting, how much damage she'd done in her rage. Knowing what caused her to lash out like this when angry didn't help her. It gave her a reason, yes, but it felt like nothing more than an excuse. Brushing her fingers across a slash that ran along the wall, it made her wonder if she was even human.

The damage may have been done with a dagger, but the cuts looked remarkably similar to a feline's scratches. Had that been her subconscious, trying to unleash the creature whose genetics enhanced her body? She felt so hollow, now that she'd spent her rage. With her brother gone, along with the rest of her unit –'_former unit'_ she scolded herself fiercely– there didn't seem to be any reason to continue.

She wasn't even human, not anymore. She couldn't control the animal instincts when she was in a blind rage, and though her physical appearance didn't change, her mental presence did. Hadn't Sol told him that himself? Her mind wasn't the same when she entered the SEED mode. So why should she allow her continued existence to trouble those around her? Her own brother had admitted that he was scared of her!

"Hey, am I intruding?" Startled, the moody Captain spun to face the speaker. She was starting to get tired of surprises and people appearing out of nowhere. Somewhere in the back of her mind, it registered that she'd known someone was approaching, but had been too busy with her self-loathing to notice it consciously.

"Rear Admiral Ronald, what are you doing here?" She pushed herself off the wall, returning to the task she had begun earlier – gathering her undamaged belongings from amongst the mess she had made. She was startled when the Rear Admiral joined her, answering her question as he neatened a group of scattered photos and news clippings before handing them to her. If the subject of the images surprised him, he didn't say anything.

"Danielle, excuse me,_Captain Taystron_, told my Uncle and I that she'd told you something you probably wouldn't have wanted to hear. She wouldn't say what, but she did say you could probably do with some company."

"And you volunteered?"

"Yep."

They worked in a companionable silence after that, putting aside anything too damaged to be reclaimed, and packing everything else up in the bags that had, miraculously, been spared from Diana's violent outburst.

"She was right, you know."

"Huh?" The room had been quiet for so long, Jake had almost forgotten he'd been helping someone, and not doing it all himself. Diana was so light on her feet, barely making a sound as she moved. It was easy to forget she was even there.

"About me needing company. Being alone… isn't good for me. It never has been." Diana clarified, staring moodily at the picture she held in her hand. "I've always had someone around. I'm not use to being alone."

Jake nodded in understanding. "Sol, right?" When Diana nodded, he smiled sadly. "Jay told me about the 'twin thing'. I guess even it can be beaten by distance, huh?"

"Yeah, it can be. At least my side of things can be hampered by distance. I don't think Sol has any such problems." Diana finally tucked the photo of her old unit into a bag. "Then again, we theorized that it's a branch of his spatial awareness, so it's not surprising – he's always been better in that field then I have." She chuckled softly. "He's always been a better pilot then I was. I've always been more suited to the ground."

Jake could have argued, but decided not to. From what he'd seen, Diana was just as good in the air as her brother was, but the records his Uncle had revealed showed otherwise. Diana was –had been– the hand to hand combat specialist of the CHO unit, and her brother was meant to be the flight specialist. Added to those documents was the small fact that Diana had been shot down by a ZAFT greencoat.

"Hey, Diana? What happened to that ZAFT pilot you took with you?"

He caught a slightly guilty look from the young woman as she grabbed her bags. Considering the state of her quarters, she'd agreed to transfer over to the_Lafayette_ earlier than originally planned. "Funny thing, that. He escaped."

"Really."

"Ah huh. At least, that's the official report."

* * *

"…And that was the last I saw of him."

Jake chuckled, shaking his head. "You could get into so much trouble if anyone ever finds out the truth of the matter, Diana." He smiled, remembering the determined gaze of Christopher Loyal. He couldn't blame her for her decision, not after hearing the whole story.

Diana just shrugged. "It was just an excuse to find out if Martin was still alive, really." She'd explained to Jake her connection to Andrew Waltfeld's protégée already, so it came as no surprise that she spoke of him now. "I just wish I'd gotten more information than I did. What I learnt makes me believe he's still alive, but…"

"It didn't confirm it. I don't think I'd worry too much Diana, anyone who knows you seems to have a pretty good survival rate." Jake informed her, watching as she ruffled through her bags, looking for something. He didn't know what yet, but he'd know soon enough.

"Talia didn't, and she's known me as long as Martin." The young Captain pointed out as her hand closed around the photo frame she'd been looking for. It was the picture of her two best friends and herself, the one taken during her last visit to the PLANTs.

"Yeah, well, that's different. She was a grey demon, and they kinda don't seem to have long lives. Besides, I don't think she had much left, after her unit was disbanded." He paused, aware that Diana was now watching him carefully, despite her attempts to pretend otherwise. He chose his next words carefully.

"Think about it. She didn't know where you were, Martin was unreachable because of the poor communications down here, and she'd been separated from what remained of her unit. The way you talk about her, she was extremely loyal to the people she considered family, and her 'family' weren't around. She probably threw herself into that battle, and didn't really care what the outcome was."

He didn't say that it was something the two women had in common, didn't mention that it was the main worry of his Uncle, Danielle and himself. He didn't need to. It was there in his eyes, in the way he returned her gaze. A silent question hung between them, asking her if she'd do the same, now that her 'family' had been forced away from her.

"Either way," Diana murmured, "I wish she hadn't have done it. I miss her." She glanced down at the frame as she placed it on the small desk that took up nearly half of her new quarters. There was no longer any glass in the frame (the picture had been a victim of her outburst earlier that day), but the miniaturized trio smiled up at her still. Well, the two teenage girls smiled. Martin wore a surprised expression, as she and Talia had managed to catch him unawares.

They'd been so happy back then, unconcerned by anything other than when Diana would next be able to visit. None of them had ever suspected that they'd end up on opposite sides of a war.

It was amazing how the smallest of things could change everything else. What could have happened, had she not returned to Earth when she'd received word of her mother's illness? At the very least, she'd have gotten to know the Grey Demons better, as she'd have undoubtedly have met them in person, and not relied on the media and her own, brief encounters.

Shaking her head, she shooed Jake out of her quarters. She had other things to think about, like working out exactly what sharing genes with a Panther meant for her. It wasn't the time to be thinking about the 'what ifs' of the past.

* * *

"Hey! I think she's waking up!" That voice was far too cheerful. It also wasn't recognizable, which was perhaps the only reason the young woman even considered opening her eyes. That, and if she remembered correctly, she really should be dead.

_It was suicidal. Plain and simple, flying out into this sortie was pretty much guaranteeing one's own death. But if she didn't go, no-one aboard the _Marat_ would survive. Whilst she didn't much care for most of the others aboard, she did care about her former teammate. He at least, ought to reach Alaska as intended. _

_So, after a rather frustrating argument with the older soldier, she'd grabbed the only machine left in the Hangar – one of the familiar F-7D Spearheads that she'd trained with, and maintained whilst she was still with her former unit. Almost immediately after launching, she'd been hassled by a couple of extremely determined DINNs. _

"_Go _Away_!" she snarled, pushing her machine through several sharp turns that would have left a lesser pilot very light-headed, if not knocking them completely unconscious. Even as she and the other pilots struggled to fend off the ZAFT attack, the _Marat_ made its withdrawal. Had she not spent the past few months learning discipline and tactics from her former CO, she might have considered them cowards. _

_Now though, she understood the logic. Besides, every pilot out here had volunteered, knowing full well they probably wouldn't return. _

_Her allies quickly ceased to matter, as she struggled to stay alive herself. She wasn't as good a pilot as some in her old unit, but her love of mechanics allowed her to hit her enemies where it counted. It just wasn't making much of a difference in this battle. There just weren't enough EA pilots left, and those that remained were severely outclassed by ZAFT's forces. _

_The first shot that actually connected was little more than a graze. The second and third shots took out her tail fin and shorted out her navigation system respectively. The fourth, and consequently last shot took out her right wing, sending her into a deadly spiral towards the ocean. Her struggles to pull herself out of the dive had been unsuccessful, and after plunging into the water, she'd had enough time to feel several sharp jolts of pain as her cockpit came to pieces around her, and then the world had gone black._

Yes, she really ought to be dead. She hadn't ejected, so she ought to be at the bottom of the sea by now, with whatever remained of the machine she'd been flying. Judging from the spasms of pain that ran through her body (suspiciously absent from her right arm, though she didn't think much of it just then) she was most certainly still in the land of the living.

"Thank you Asagi, I'll deal with it from here." A new voice, definitely older than the other she had heard.

"Okay Mrs. Maywood. Just give a call if you need anything!" replied the overly cheerful person, before the sound of retreating footsteps reached her ears.

There was silence for a moment, and she decided that it was safe to open her eyes. Her gaze was met by sympathetic brown eyes, and as she traced them back to the rest of the person, she found herself blinking rapidly, trying to clear the image of her former Captain from her eyes. This woman looked so much like an older version of Diana!

"Ahh…" She didn't know what to say. She wanted to ask where she was, if this woman was related to Diana Stein and many other questions, but when she tried to voice them, her mind went blank. Finally getting her thoughts in order, her first attempt to speak lead to a fit of coughing.

Gentle hands braced her, waiting out the coughing, before offering a glass of water. She gulped down the drink as quickly as she could, and made a renewed attempt to find out just where the hell she was.

"Who are you? Where the hell am I?" She'd have continued with her questions, but the woman held up her hand, and Diana's lessons kicked in. Just as she could not speak when her Captain made that gesture, she could not utter a word now. The older woman observed her reaction with interest, but answered her questions.

"I'm Sara Maywood. My husband and I came across you on our return trip. We own a transport business, you see. You were washed up on a beach; on an island we always spend a couple of days at around this time of the year. You're lucky to be alive." She paused, and then shook her head and chuckled. "And as to 'where the hell' you are, we brought you back to Orb with us."

Sara was keeping her distance, as if worried. The way she fiddled with her wedding ring reinforced that idea. The continuous, quick glances at the young pilot's right arm made her glance that way herself.

A soft hiss escaped her as she stared. Grey metal greeted her eyes.

"The leg's gone too. There wasn't anything we could do about it." Sara told her quietly. She waited, as if she knew the young woman would check.

"Now, there's no use crying over spilt milk. Or lost limbs as the case may be. Can you remember who you are? Or what happened? If you can't it may or may not come back to you. It's never a sure thing, and judging from what remained of your machine, that was quite the crash you had!"

"You talk too much." Laughter greeted that statement.

"Indeed I do. My daughter use to say the same thing. I doubt she ever realized I used it as a diversionary tactic. Delightful and smart though my Leah was, she could never figure me out, and she complained bitterly about that too! Now, a name please, if you remember it?"

'_Stubborn old bat.'_ "Moriko. Moriko Tomatsu." She blinked, startled that she'd allowed that to slip out. This too, the old woman noticed with a slight smile. _'And way too observant.'_ Watching as Sara pottered around, straightening and cleaning the room, she thought about what she'd just been told.

"Maywood…" she murmured softly, thinking where she'd heard that name. Her eyes widened in shock. "The Maywood siblings!"

Sara Maywood turned, the traces of an old grief in her eyes. "Yes, Leah and Darren, two of the Atlantic Federation's best pilots, are my children."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Maywood."

The woman chuckled. "Don't be, the two are alive and well, or so I believe. A close friend passed on a message from Leah only recently, and I believe I know a little more about the CHO Project then I ought to, Ensign Taylor."

Meagan's yelped, trying to scamper of the bed in a rather uncoordinated movement. Sara caught her before she hit the ground. "Easy there, Miss Meagan. You'll need to get use to the replacements before you can get back to your old skill level."

"You _are_ Diana's mum." Meagan whispered in wonderment. "You're… oh wow." Sara helped her back onto the bed. "You… know about the CHO Project?"

"Yes. Danielle, who I believe you know as Captain Taystron, is my best friend. I don't think she liked seeing me so upset, so she found out what had actually happened, and kept me up to date as best she could. I haven't had an update since your unit departed for Victoria."

Meagan shook her head, trying to take it all in. Captain Taystron knew more then she'd let on about the CHO unit. She kept her best friend, Diana's _mother_ updated on everything that happened. There'd never been any mention of Orb knowing about it.

Sara seemed to have been following her thought processes, for she answered the unspoken question. "I've never mentioned it to anyone. Even their father doesn't know. Darren and Leah have gone through enough, they don't need more trouble. Now you get some rest. We can work on getting you use to those artificial limbs in a couple of days, but until then, you are to relax, and don't think about the war."

Meagan nodded meekly, deciding it was easy to tell from whom Diana had inherited her commanding personality. With that in mind, she stretched out, intending to get the sleep she needed. Maybe everything would be easier to deal with when she woke up…

* * *

_Author's Note:_ I'm so sorry that this took so long to get out there. I've been rather busy and, well, I'm not happy with the direction this is taking. I know where I _want_ it to go, but it isn't going there. Because I'm not happy with it, I'm getting bored with it.

So, a re-write is in order. Diana will remain, as will Sol. The rest of the unit, and any of my other OCs may or may not return. If there's anyone in particular you guys want me to keep around, please let me know.

In the mean time, to see what has kept me so distracted, check out www.darknessversuslight. and www These original stories are what have kept me away from a Panther's Honour, and will continue to do so.


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